What Matters Is Now
by axelkairi
Summary: Hikari and Demi were destined to be friends. Light and Darkness, two halves of a whole. And when their lives start spiraling out of control, they begin to learn just how much they need each other. Hikari-Laguna, Zuko, Vincent.Demi-Squall, Zack. not a yaoi
1. Intro

**Disclaimer: I do not own Dissidia, Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core, Final Fantasy VIII, Avatar The Last Airbender... and I think that's it lol**

A/N: Okay, so me and my friend, floutistvivi, are very imaginative, and almost every time we hang out, we RP, and make our own characters and set up our own stories, and it's basically like acting out a fanfiction. It's super fun =) And so we forgot where we stopped in our old game, and so we started a new one! I though it was sooo much fun, and I loved the ideas and concepts and everything, so I wanted to make a fanfic so all of you guys could enjoy it, too! I also give a huge amount of credit to floutistvivi, so if you guys like this, don't only thank me! She contributed, too! So this is a _huge_ crossover fic, and the characters in it are sort of changed. Not completely, but like we heightened certain characteristics of them, and sometimes even combined people. I'll give you guys a little info before you dive in, so you're not like "Whaaaat?"

Here we go!

**What Matters Is Now**

**INTRO**

**Main Characters**

**OCs -**

**Name:** Hikari Devonair

**Age:** 16, but tells people 17

**Description:** Looks just like Cosmos from Dissidia, but is not anything like her other than that. Also, a lot shorter than her. Like 5' 5".

**Personality:** Very damsel-in-distress type, but tries her best to take care of herself. Very naive, and doesn't really think things through. Not very self-assured, and always second guesses herself. Nice, ready to help people, and is usually the reason that things go wrong.

**Name:** Demi Loire

**Age:** 18

**Description:** Long black hair, icy blue eyes, pale skin. Tall, about 5' 10".

**Personality:** Quiet; the lone wolf type, but cares endlessly about her friends and family. Talkative, but only with people she trusts. Strong, smart, and doesn't take crap. The classic strong woman type.

**Game Characters -**

**Name:** Laguna Loire

**Age:** 44 (27)

**Description:** same as when you see him in Esthar. (same as dreams)

**Personality:** Funny, nice, and very talkative. Has times when he can be mature, but they are few and far between. (Goofy, energetic, nervous, and has difficulty expressing himself in words. Driven by his emotions, but second guesses himself a lot, and is reluctant to take chances in his personal life.)

**Name:** Squall Leonhart

**Age:** 18

**Description:** same as in game

**Personality:** Quiet, doesn't trust easily, lone wolf. Very mature and smart, not very impulsive/goes by the book, except in special situations. Stupid when it comes to his feelings and the feelings of others. (in this story, he is changed: he is better when it comes to relationships, and is a little more open)

**Name:** Zuko (doesn't really have a last name...)

**Age:** 17

**Description:** looks like he did in Book 3

**Personality:** He is one of two game characters that we completely changed. He is still sorta angsty, but not nearly as much as before. He's _very_ impulsive, and does what he wants when he wants. You know that predatory sort of aura he has around him usually? He still has that. He is very much a predator.

**Name:** Vincent Valentine

**Age:** 22

**Description:** Looks like he did in the Turks, before the whole thirty-year sleep thing

**Personality:** We changed him, too. He's basically the same, except around a certain person (you'll find out who...) he is very open and nice and lets himself just be. Otherwise, he's a very held-back, business-as-usual type person.

**Name:** Zack Fair

**Age:** 20

**Description:** same as in game, but with his first haircut, not that one weird strand of hair hanging off his forehead.

**Personality:** He's the other one that we completely changed. To put it simply, he is Zack Fair from FF7:CC on the outside, but inside he is Axel from KH. He's probably one of my favorite characters besides the OCs just because of how hilarious he is. He's a pretty big pervert, agressively flirty, and brutally honest. He causes a lot of drama in a certain person's life. However, he can be mature sometimes, and almost sweet on occasion. Probably the most dynamic character, save for the OCs.

**Story Info:**

Set in Final Fantasy VIII's world, mostly in Esthar. Esthar has recently created its own Garden, and has two grades of graduated SeeDs. That's really all you need to know. The rest will come as the story goes along. =)

I hope you all enjoy! This game is so fun for me, and even though it may be a confusing mash-up of a bunch of games and ideas, it's really good! Please review and tell me what you think!


	2. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Dissidia, Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core, Final Fantasy VIII, or Avatar The Last Airbender.**

A/N: Well, here it goes! The first chapter of What Matters Is Now! I hope you guys like it!

**What Matters Is Now**

**Chapter One**

_Hikari's POV_

I was never going to get used to this Garden. It was only my first day and I already knew that. It was already fourth bell, and I'd missed at least half of every single class, just because people in the hallways kept on pointing me in random directions. No one really seemed to want to help me at all; they just wanted to watch me run in the opposite direction that I wanted to go and laugh as I faded away.

I'd arrived late, for my first flight was delayed, and then the people we paid for a private flight cancelled on us when they realized we wanted to go to Esthar, saying something about how they wouldn't fly there if it was the only way to get anywhere. We ended up having to get flown on some sad excuse for a plane that was practically held together by duct tape, then we landed near the Lunar Gate and had to walk the rest of the way there, with all of my luggage, until we could rent a car from the Lunar Gate and drive into Esthar.

That caused me to miss my first bell, Dance, which I was really disappointed about. I loved to dance, even though I was naturally clumsy and didn't have the best rhythm, and often got paired up with that one guy who always steps on my feet. At least I wouldn't have that problem now, since Esthar Garden was all girls. Then I missed half of my second bell, Handguns and Pistols III, and when I finally made it there they didn't let my use my own gun, since it was registered in Balamb and not Esthar, so I had to use their crappy rectangular handgun with awful recoil.

Third bell wasn't too horrible of a disappointment, since it was only Physical Training. I got there halfway through the class, and - just my luck - they'd just finished with a Yoga warm-up and were getting started with core training. So I now have a pulled muscle in my back and shoulder from doing intense crunches and push-ups without warming up first.

And now, I was frantically searching for my fourth bell, Human Studies. I assumed that it was a lot like the Balamb Human Studies class, consisting of Psychology and Sociology, and basically learning how to act like a completely different person flawlessly. That was one thing I hated about being a SeeD; everything was all about infiltration and covert operations. Why couldn't we just barge in and say "Hey, quit what you're doing or we'll kill all of you"? It would save so much more time, and lives if it was a hostage situation or something of the kind. Sure, I was never really the brave kind, but I'd rather be terrified on the front line than bored, pretending to be a rich socialite sipping champagne.

I stopped in front of a door, breathing hard - I'd been running for the past twenty minutes, trying to find the room - made a quick wish that it was B107, and stepped inside.

Apparently the class was in the middle of a lecture, for all fell silent as I barged in, and every eye in the room turned to me. I blushed in embarrassment at all the attention, and turned to the instructor. "Um, sorry, but is this B107?" I asked with hopeful eyes.

She shook her head. "No. It's down the hall."

My shoulders slumped and I frowned. "Okay, well, thanks," I muttered, leaving the classroom and returning to the hall. I leaned against the wall near the door and heaved a sigh, letting my head rest behind me. I might as well just skip the rest of fourth bell and get a head-start on finding my fifth bell class.

Someone rounded the corner in the cream-colored uniform of a junior class-men. Her aura sort of intimidated me, but I needed to find my class. I stepped forward, pushing my immediate fears away, and stopped her. "Excuse me!" I said, loud enough for her to hear.

Her eyes found me before she stopped, but she did nonetheless. I was struck by her dark beauty, her strong features and the sharp angles of her face. Her bright blue eyes held shadows, and she had the faintest of dark circles under her eyes, something one wouldn't notice unless they were looking for it. Her skin was almost paler than the clothes she wore, but it flattered her, and her coal black hair only set off her skin tone. She wore no makeup that I could see, and I envied her for being able to look so perfect without something to help her.

"Yes?" she asked, her voice a higher pitch than I'd expected.

I walked up to her, my schedule in my hand, even though I doubted it would help. "Um, I was wondering if you could tell me where room B107 is," I tried, hoping she'd know.

She looked past me and nodded to the classroom that I'd just left. "That's it right there," she said.

I furrowed my brow and looked from her to the room then back. "But... the instructor in that room told me it was down the hall." I pointed down the hall to emphasize my point.

The dark girl smiled, like the corners of her mouth were being lifted subtly by invisible strings. "The instructors like to mess with new students," she informed me. "It's how they get their sick kicks."

My hands fell to my sides. "Great," I groaned. "No wonder I had such a hard time finding my other classes."

"What else do you have?" she asked. "I could help you find them."

I brightened instantly. "Really?" I asked, surprised that someone who seemed as quiet as her would be so willing to take the time out of their life to help me. "Thanks so much! Um, here's my schedule," I said, handing it to her.

She flattened it out as best as she could on her hands and scanned it quickly with her eyes. "Hm. Well, you have lunch after this bell, which is in the cafeteria; it's pretty easy to find. Just follow the people with money. And... oh, you have Infiltration Skills with me fifth bell, so I'll help you find that when the time comes. Then, sixth bell... Music Study? That must be a new course," she muttered to herself. "It'll probably be near the Dance room, if you know where that is; it's down the hall from the infirmary. Then seventh bell, you have Literature, which is just down this hall and you take a right. There's a sign next to the door that says 'Literature'; that instructor is probably the nicest, but also the most strict when it comes to projects and essays."

I nodded and said "Yeah" and "uh-huh" in the appropriate places until she was finished explaining and handed me back my schedule. I was sort of surprised that she talked as much as she did; her appearance didn't at all reflect her personality. Then I scolded myself for labeling her, like I was back in Prep School. I shouldn't have judged her so quickly.

"Thank you so much," I said graciously, almost feeling the need to bow to her for being so kind. "This place is _so_ much bigger than Balamb Garden!"

She shrugged. "I wouldn't know," she replied. "I haven't ever even been outside of Esthar."

I blinked. "Really?" At her nod, I nearly gaped. "How come?"

"My father," she explained. "He's needed here, and he's always ridiculously busy. It's really pretty annoying, actually."

"I'm sorry," I said on reflex.

She half-smiled at me. "It's not your fault," she pointed out.

"Yeah, but still..." Don't you love how well I can express myself? "Well, thanks again for helping me."

"No problem," she assured me. "See you around." She gave me a small wave before walking down the hall.

"See ya!" I answered, then folded my schedule into my pocket and stepped into class, ignoring the snickers everyone threw my way for falling for the instructor's trick. I sighed as I picked an empty seat, and my heart plummeted at how the girl next to me shifted her bag away from me, as if she didn't want me to touch anything of hers.

This was going to be a long day.

Fourth bell finally ended, and I was the last one out, taking my time packing up my things into my tote bag and gathering my books into my arms. I nodded my goodbyes to the instructor, who stood by the door, but didn't look her in the eye, for I was sure she was smiling at her little joke from before.

The dark girl was right; the cafeteria was easy to find. I felt bad that I still hadn't gotten her name, and hoped that I would see her during lunch so I could learn it.

I got in line to buy my food and scanned the cafeteria seats as I shuffled forward with the other students. The tables were long, the kind that fold in half with wheels and had individual, circular chairs to sit in. It looked like every single table was full, and my heart sunk at the thought of having nowhere to sit.

I got my food and paid for it, happy my parents had given me a thousand dollars for myself until I got my own job - or became a SeeD and got my own salary from that - because the Garden lunches were _expensive_! I mean, $3.75 for some half-ass chicken, limp fries, and a tiny carton of milk? It's ridiculous!

I stood like a dork in the front of the cafeteria, looking for somewhere to sit, feeling tears prick the backs of my eyes, and cursing myself for letting my loneliness and low self-esteem get to me. _I guess I could just eat in the bathroom,_ I thought, and almost cried at my lack of friends.

Then I found it. A completely empty table, save for one person with black hair, her back turned to me. I blinked away my insecurities and made my way toward the table, all the way in the back of the lunchroom, and sat down in the chair across the dark girl.

"Hey," I said, feigning cheer. "Mind if I sit here?"

"No, it's fine," she said, giving me the same half-smile from before.

"I'm sorry, I never really told you my name," I apologized. "I'm Hikari Devonair."

She nodded. "Demi Loire," she replied.

It was quiet for a little bit, just the two of us eating our lunches, before one of us spoke again.

"So how was your fourth bell?" she asked good-naturedly. "Human Studies, right?"

I nodded. "It was okay," I answered honestly. "The people here aren't very welcoming, though. I mean, except you," I added hastily.

She smiled at my desperate cover-up. "Yeah, they can be pretty vicious," she agreed.

"Better than Galbadia, though, I guess," I said, trying to keep up the conversation without it being completely one-sided. I'd always been afraid of uncomfortable silences. "I went there on a field trip once, and jeez! The Galbadian SeeDs are such -"

"Snobs?" Demi finished for me.

"Exactly!" I exclaimed, as if she was the only one who understood. "And I've never been to Trabia Garden, but there's this one girl who transferred from there to Balamb named Selphie, and she's really sweet, so I imagine most of them are pretty nice, so that's good."

Demi let out a soft, humorless laugh. "Good luck finding someone like that here," she said. "Everybody in Esthar Garden is a -"

"Snob?" I guessed with a smile.

She shook her head. "Slut," she finished.

I blinked. "Really?" I asked, and she nodded, popping a piece of celery into her mouth. "But... there aren't any guys here! Do they, like, go out and party or something?" _I thought you weren't allowed to leave the Garden without special permission..._

"Nope. They just sort of... improvise, I guess is the word. I mean, since there aren't any guys here..." She trailed off, giving me an expectant look.

I grimaced as I understood what she was saying. "Ugh, lesbian sluts," I said. Now don't get me wrong, I have absolutely nothing against gay people. I just don't have a fondness of seeing some girl fooling around with another one in a drunken stupor. Nope, not me.

Demi nodded, her eyes mirroring the look in mine.

Just as I began to gather up my tray to throw my trash away, the bell for fifth bell rang. Demi stood up and waited for me, then lead me to Infiltration Skills, explaining what they had been doing in that class for the past few days, with me listening avidly so I wouldn't end up looking like an idiot when I had no idea what the instructor wanted from me.

I was glad I had met Demi. Hopefully, with her as my friend, the rest of this semester - and the SeeD exam - would be a lot easier.

With all our classes finished, Demi met me in front of the Dormitories like we'd planned back in fifth bell. We had been talking about the sluts in the Garden, and eventually she told me that she didn't really feel comfortable leaving me to sleep in the dorms. I didn't have to ask why, nor did I want to, but I did have to ask why she wasn't going to be sleeping at the Garden.

"I live really close by," she'd explained, "and my dad expects me home every day, just to be sure I'm safe. He's really overprotective," she'd sighed. "Anyway, he talked to the Headmaster and got them to let me leave for the nights."

I'd told her about how I wished I could go home after a day in Esthar Garden, but my parents still lived in Balamb. They hadn't really wanted to go with me, but I understood, and I was actually happy. Me and my family weren't really on the best of terms, and it was nice to get away from their judgmental stares.

"Hey," I greeted her, and she nodded to me. "I'm just gonna put my books in my room, 'kay?"

"Just bring them," Demi offered. "It would be stupid to come here in the morning and have to go _all_ the way to your dorm, then _back around_ the Garden to get to your first bell."

I thought about that for a moment, then decided it made sense. "Okay, but you have to help me carry them." I tossed her an evil smile before dumping half my stack of books into her arms.

She frowned playfully and shifted them in her arms, and we walked around the Garden to the front gates, where a limo was waiting, exhaust pouring out from its tailpipe.

I gazed at the long black vehicle longingly. "Wow," I said. "Whoever' getting picked up by _that_ sure is lucky."

Demi laughed and walked toward the car, confusing me. Before I could ask what she was doing, she turned and looked at me. "It's mine," she explained.

My jaw dropped and I nearly dropped all my books. When I finally regained my composure, I asked, "Are you _serious_?"

She smiled and nodded, amused by my display. She opened the door at the back of the car. "Come on, we're wasting gas," she said.

I didn't need to be told twice. I practically skipped with joy into the limo, and squealed when it started driving.

"This is incredible!" I gushed. "How can you afford this?"

"You'll see," she said evasively. "It's a surprise."

"I don't know if I can _handle_ another surprise," I muttered, taking a sip of the complementary lemon-lime beverage in the cup-holder beside me.

Demi said nothing, only smiled.

In no time, we were there. However, I wasn't quite sure where 'there' was, because the place we stopped in front of looked like the entrance to a castle, not a home."Um, are you sure this is the right place?" I asked, gawking at the huge walls and guards parading around the entrance. "Maybe your driver is delusional."

"Don't make fun of Grimoire!" Demi scolded me. "Yes, this is the right place. Just sit on that chair and it'll take us up."

"Up where?" I asked, eyeing the circular couch-like contraption suspiciously.

"I told you, it's a surprise," Demi repeated, sitting down. Something began blinking under the couch-chair, and she patted the seat next to her. "Hurry up and sit, or you'll get left behind."

I sat down quickly, and no sooner did I place my feet on the floor did the chair lift into the air and lurch toward the entrance of the palace. Terrified, I clenched my jaw and held onto the cushions beside me, even though we weren't moving awfully fast.

Soon, though not soon enough for me, the couch-chair stopped and dropped down, as if gravity had suddenly decided to affect it. I had to pry my fingers off the edges just to stand, and when I did it was shaky and my movements were jerky and controlled. Demi laughed at me, her hand covering her mouth, and I could hardly imagine what I looked like then.

"Come on, it's this way," she said, walking down a hall to the left.

I followed her, but was unbearably confused. "_What's_ this way?" I asked.

"The _surprise_," she said, mimicking the whiny tone of my voice.

I crossed my arms, pretending to be pissed, but really I was having the time of my life. I made a new friend, rode in a limo, took a roller coaster ride on a couch, and now I was wandering around a _castle_! Could this day get any better?

"I want you to meet my dad," Demi said. "I think you'll like him."

"Who is he?" I couldn't help but ask. "Is he, like, a King or something?"

Demi smiled. "Something like that," she answered, then stopped in front of a doorway. "Here it is. My dad's office."

She opened the door and we walked inside. Three men stood in the room, one of them standing off to the side, another standing next to the third, who was pouring over countless papers on a desk. The room was very cluttered, but in an organized way, if that made any sense. There were piles upon piles of papers and books, but they were all stacked in a certain place, next to specific filing cabinets that looked full to bursting.

But none of this mattered to me. It was like everything in the room faded away except for the third man, the one sitting at the desk. His long dark hair was pulled back in an ineffective-looking ponytail, with his bangs still framing one side of his chiseled face. A strong nose held up a pair of thin reading glasses, hidden behind which were gorgeous ocean blue eyes and long, dark lashes. He was tan, but not in a bronze way, just enough to give him some color. His button-up shirt folded around a muscular chest and sculpted biceps, and when he stood I could swear I saw every motion flowing through his body. And when his eyes met mine and he smiled a warm, welcoming smile, I thought I went into cardiac arrest.

He looked away from me to Demi, took off his glasses and held out his arms as if expecting a hug. "Hey, Mimi!" he greeted. "How was school?"

Wait... _He_ was Demi's dad?

"It was fine," Demi answered, giving him a short hug. "I thought I told you not to call me that anymore."

"Did you?" he asked, obviously knowing what she was talking about. "I don't remember." Before Demi could say anything else, he looked at me. "And who's this?"

I was speechless under his eyes, and hoped I didn't look too awestruck. Demi seemed to notice my inability to answer, for she responded for me. "That's Hikari. She just transferred to Esthar Garden."

"Ah," he said. He stepped forward and held out a hand toward me. "Nice to meet you, Hikari."

I shook his hand, and couldn't help but notice how warm he was, and how his touch seemed to send a jolt of electricity through me. It felt almost... familiar somehow. "Nice to meet you, too, Mr. President," I choked out, hoping I didn't sound juvenile calling him 'Mr. President.'

He smiled broadly at this, and I noticed he still hadn't let go of my hand. "Please, call me Laguna," he insisted.

"O-Okay," I said. "Laguna."

"There you go," he said, stepping back, and I felt almost hollow without his hand in mine. I found myself screaming in my head, asking "Why'd you wear those jeans? They're hideous, and they don't flatter you at all! Why didn't you wear the ones that make your butt look great?" and "Could you wear a more conservative top? I mean, really! Button-up flannel is _not_ gonna impress guys, let alone this one!"

_Who cares?_ a foreign part of my mind whispered. _It's not like he's interested anyway. He's, like, forty._

My heart sank. Yes, he was almost twenty-five years older than me, _and_ he was my new friend's dad. I'm pretty sure that made him very off-limits. _Dammit,_ I couldn't stop myself from thinking.

"Hey dad, we're gonna go to my room, 'kay?" Demi said, already heading out the door.

"M'kay," Laguna replied. "You know where I'll be," he said, gesturing around him, his eyes betraying how tired he was.

I suppressed a giggle at his humor and followed Demi out the door and to her room. "Oh my god," I said slowly, sitting down on the edge of her bed.

She shut the door behind her. "What?"

A huge smile spread on my face, my geeky teenage girl crush coming forth. "Your dad is _so_ hott!" I squealed.

"Ew, gross!" she laughed, throwing a plush pillow at my face. "I thought I saw you checking him out!"

"Oh, come on!" I protested, laying on my stomach on her mattress. "Can you really blame me?"

"Yes!" she exclaimed, but still with a smile on her face, keeping the conversation playful. "That's my _dad_, Hikari!"

"Well, I'm _so_ sorry you have such a gorgeous dad!" I said, keeping my voice relatively low from an irrational fear that Laguna was listening. _Quit obsessing!_

Night came almost too quickly. We spent the entire afternoon hanging out in Demi's room, sneaking out occasionally to grab some snacks, and just talked for hours and hours. I learned about how she was never allowed to leave Esthar because her father was worried she would be kidnapped for ransom or killed, since she was the daughter of the President, and there were always resistance groups in any society. She learned about how my parents basically disowned me for becoming 'a failure', and sent me here to set me straight. Apparently, a failure for them is someone who begins to wonder what the purpose of her own life is, and in turn fails a few classes. I learned that she'd never been kissed before; she learned that I'd been kissed plenty of time, but none of them were really significant. We had a conversation about which was better: never been kissed or have been but just don't care. Never been kissed won by a long-shot.

She provided me with pajamas, since mine were in my suitcase back in the dorms of the Garden, and they were pretty incredible: satin on the outside, but cotton on the inside. They were the warmest things I'd ever worn, which was fantastic since winter was crawling up.

I slept in her bed since it was King Size, and fell asleep easier than I had in a long, long time. And I was kept warm by thoughts of Laguna's hand holding mine, and his ocean blue eyes staring into mine.


	3. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Dissidia, Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core, Final Fantasy VIII, or Avatar The Last Air-bender.**

A/N: How do you like it so far? I'm trying to make these chapters longer than my usual 6-page chapters, because there's just so much! If the chapters were any shorter, by the end of this story there would be, like, over a hundred chapters! And I don't feel like writing all that. So, just in case you didn't know, Hikari is me and Demi is floutistvivi. And as you can see, I fricking _LOVE_ Lagune Loire!!! OMG I could marry him hehe. **(floutist: kairi that is really weird...you marrying a 44 year old guy. im getting you a doctor.)**

Anyway... Here's the next chapter in What Matters Is Now! Review please! Let me know what you think!

**What Matters Is Now**

**Chapter Two**

_Hikari's POV_

I woke up to the sound of gunshots, gargling sounds, yelling, and fire. Mostly fire. And that extremely bothered me.

I sat up and rubbed my head, and I pulled a leaf out from my hair. Wait, a _leaf_? I looked around me and surveyed my surroundings.

I was in a forest of some kind. There were trees all around me, and it appeared to be mid to late summer, for there were hardly any leaves on the ground, and the ones that were weren't brown or crisp in the least. There seemed to be a dirt path a little ways in front of me as well.

And there was a small fire crackling not even a foot away from my face.

I screamed and stood up, backing away into a tree, away from the fire. I patted my hair and checked my clothes, making sure they hadn't been burned - strangely, I wasn't wearing my pajamas; I was wearing my favorite jeans and a cute shirt. I let out a breath after I was satisfied, thankful that I was intact and okay.

But then another worry came to mind.

How the hell was I here? And where the hell _was_ 'here'?

I decided that dirt road up ahead would be my best bet to see where I was. I refused to let myself panic; that wasn't what a responsible SeeD would do, and with the exam coming up soon, I'd have to learn how to trust myself and be brave in weird situations like this. So, here goes.

I stepped out onto the path, and no sooner had my foot touched ground was I bowled over by a giant blue force. I practically did a flip in the air before I hit the ground. When my head finally cleared, I looked in the direction of the whale that knocked me over and saw that it was in fact a person - a very large person, but still a person - and he was running with two other men, all in navy blue uniforms.

I'm not quite sure what came over me then. Perhaps it was my persistent need for people to know that they couldn't take advantage of me, or maybe my pride that I wish I had, but I stood up shakily, got my footing, and ran after them, yelling, "Hey! Slow down, you jerk!"

I followed them for what seemed like an eternity, but it was probably only because I'd been cutting Physical Training classes in Balamb for the past two months, and I wasn't used to running so much so fast. I got a cramp in my side and my breathing grew labored, but I didn't care. I just kept running. "Hey! Dammit, stop! Or at least slow down!"

Suddenly, a miracle happened. It seemed at first like I was imagining it, but no, they were really slowing down! Yes, they stopped! I smiled and kept running until I reached them, then stopped and bent over, my hands on my knees as I gathered my breath. _Jeez, they run fast!_

"Who are you?" someone asked, and I looked up to see them. He was a strange looking person, with brown skin and curly black hair pulled back in a low ponytail on the back of his neck. His eyes were bright green, and he was very skinny; it almost made me a little jealous. Two katals rested at his sides, and I swallowed at the sight.

"My name's Hikari, I'm from Balamb, and your _friend_ here -" I pointed at the giant man with a scar on his face that I just noticed, blocking the third person in their party from my sight "- just knocked me over and didn't even look twice!"

"So?" the giant man asked, with the deepest voice I'd ever heard in my life.

"So?!" I repeated incredulously. "_So_, I expect an apology!"

The brown man seemed to roll his eyes at me, though I couldn't be sure; I was too busy tapping my foot in the direction of the giant man.

Finally, the giant man sighed. "Sorry," he said, though I hardly believed he really was.

I accepted it nonetheless. "Thank you," I said curtly. I opened my mouth to let them know that I'd be going now - though where I would go to I had no idea - when a voice interrupted me.

"Guys, watch out!"

The third man jumped past the brown man, a huge gun in his hand, and stepped in front of me, pushing me back gently with his outstretched arm. He fired his gun at something in the air, and I realized it was a pink bird-like thing that had been about to attack us. It squawked and fell to the ground, somehow fading into the air, as if the earth itself swallowed it up.

I didn't realize I'd been holding my breath until I exhaled in relief. And when the man turned to face me, I found once again that I couldn't breathe.

Laguna stood before me in all his glory, his glorious dark hair down around his face, his face even younger than it had looked when I first met him, and his eyes free of the tired haze I'd seen, instead full of energy and excitement. My heart pounded so hard it almost hurt, but I probably wouldn't have noticed if it just burst out of my chest that second. I was too enthralled with this much younger Laguna Loire in front of me.

"Are you okay?" he asked, his voice still a little breathy, probably from an adrenaline rush or something.

I nodded, hoping I wasn't blushing too deeply. "Yeah," I breathed. "Thank you."

He smiled and shrugged. "No problem," he answered. "You said your name's Hikari, right?" At my nod, he continued. "I'm Laguna, and this is Kiros and Ward." He gestured to the other men, the brown one first and the giant one after that. I smiled and nodded at both of them, hoping they didn't think I was crazy for how I acted before.

"Nice to meet you, Laguna," I said in reflex, but was confused. I'd already met him, and now I was meeting him again, but in the past? This made no sense!

"It's nice to meet you, too," Laguna said, giving me a heart-melting smile.

"Quit flirting, Laguna," Kiros said in a bored tone, "we have to get out of here, remember?"

I blushed. He was flirting with me?

Laguna laughed. "Alright, alright," he conceded. He turned back to me. "Are you coming with us?"

I blinked. "Can I?" I asked, surprised.

"Laguna..." Ward muttered, and I figured he was probably thinking of protocol or something like that.

"Of course you can!" Laguna assured me. "No rule against helping out a damsel, is there?" he asked his friends.

Neither of them said anything for a moment, which only proved Laguna right, and finally Kiros spoke. "Fine," he said, "but you have to take care of her."

I'd never heard a more perfect sentence in my life.

"No problem there." Laguna smirked and put his arm around my shoulders, pulling me toward him. "Don't worry, Hikari," he said, and I could feel his breath at my ear. "I'll protect you."

A simultaneous groan erupted from both Kiros and Ward, and they started running down the path toward another thicket of trees. Laguna took my hand and gave me a smile. "You up to a bit more running?"

I smiled back at him. "I think I can manage," I replied, and started running, Laguna right behind me.

There weren't many monsters after that, and the ones that did show up were easily thwarted with a slash to the chest or a bullet to the head. Soon enough, we all reached a parked car and piled into it, Ward driving, and Kiros, Laguna and I sitting in the back. I sat next to Laguna and breathed deeply to catch my breath.

"You sure you're alright?" he asked, looking almost genuinely worried.

I nodded, my eyelids suddenly feeling heavy. "Yeah, I'm fine," I assured him. "Just a little tired, that's all."

"Here," he said, putting his arm around my shoulders again and pulling me closer. "It'll be a pretty long drive; you can lean on me."

I blushed madly, and was glad he couldn't see. "Thanks," I said, resting my head on his shoulder, loving the way my body seemed to fit to his, even just sitting side-by-side. I fell into a deep sleep to the smell of his shampoo and the electric currents his touch stirred within me.

My eyes snapped open and I sat up in bed, looking around the room. I didn't see trees like I'd expected; just simple off-white walls with bookshelves and a door to a walk-in closet and another to a personal bathroom. There was no forest floor beneath me, no badly cushioned car-seat for me to sit on, and saddest of all, no Laguna beside me, holding me with his amazing arms. Just a mattress, some bed-sheets, and Demi a few feet to my left, rubbing her eyes. I must've woken her up when I sat up.

"Sorry, did I wake you up?" I asked.

Demi shook her head. "Naw, it's fine." She turned so she was facing me and looked at me tiredly. "What's wrong?"

"I just had a weird dream, that's all," I told her. I couldn't very well tell her what my dream was about!

"You wanna talk about it?"

"Not really."

"Come on, tell me."

I sighed and looked at her. "It was really weird. It was about your dad. He and those two guys in his office before were there, but they were all younger, and they were, like, soldiers or something. We were all in a forest and met up, and then we went to this car and drove off. And that's about when I woke up."

Demi furrowed her brow, but had shut her eyes again. "That _is_ weird," she agreed.

"I know, right? And it felt so real..." I blinked and blushed as I remembered Laguna's warm touch. "I think I'm gonna get some water, okay?"

Demi mumbled something incoherently, but I took it as a go-ahead. I got out of bed without disturbing her too much and walked outside into the hall. I made my way through the dark castle into the kitchen without too much difficulty, since I still remembered the way there. I turned a corner and saw a light on in the kitchen, spilling out in the hall from the open doorway. _Who could be up at this hour?_ I thought.

I hesitantly walked into the kitchen, unsure of whether I was welcome or not, and stopped dead in the doorway as I saw Laguna sitting at the table, reading glasses low on his nose as he squinted at a piece of paper in the dim light provided by the ceiling lamp above him.

I cleared my throat, and he suddenly raised his head to look at me. I wanted to leave, feeling awkward and childish around this much-older Laguna when I'd just been flirting with him twenty years ago - even though it had been a dream. But I couldn't. I lost myself in the ocean blue of his eyes and felt myself pulled into the room by some unseen force. "Hey," I greeted nervously.

Laguna offered me a tired smile, the shock of my unexpected entrance wearing off. "Hey," he said in turn, taking off his glasses and setting them on the table next to the paper. "What are you doing up so early?" he asked, leaning back in his chair languidly.

_Wishing you were my age._ "Just getting some water," I answered, turning to the cabinet with the cups to hide my blush from him. "I actually had a pretty weird dream," I admitted, moving over to the refrigerator.

"What about?" he asked, turning to me, giving me his full attention.

I couldn't help but swell with pride that I was able to so easily tear him away from his priorities just to tell him about a stupid dream. "It was nothing, really," I lied, filling up my cup. "I honestly can't remember too much of it."

Laguna smiled. "That happens to me all the time," he said. "But it's always the good dreams that I forget."

I laughed. "Me too, usually." I sat down across from him and set my drink on the table, feeling so drawn to him that it was almost a gravitational pull.

"So," Laguna began, leaning over the table toward me, "Demi said you were new. Where did you transfer from?"

"Balamb Garden," I answered, taking a sip of my water. My heart was beating overtime, but I was surprised by how easy it was to talk to him.

"Balamb, huh?" he repeated, sounding interested. "How'd you end up here, then? Balamb is pretty far away."

I sighed and shifted in my seat. "Well, I started questioning what it meant to be a SeeD, and if it was right for me, and somewhere along the line, my grades suffered. I started failing classes, and when I confessed my thoughts to my parents, they wouldn't hear it. They said they'd already spent so much money teaching me how to be a SeeD, so they wouldn't see me quit now. They saw Esthar's high graduate ratings and immediately shipped me off here. I hardly had time to say goodbye to my friends," I muttered, mostly to myself, though I was sure Laguna could hear.

He frowned and gazed at me with sympathy. "I'm sorry," he said unnecessarily. "Your parents sound really tough."

I let out a humorless laugh. "Ain't that the truth," I agreed, letting my head fall on my folded arms.

It was silent for a while, just me sulking, remembering my parents' harsh words when I told them how I felt, and Laguna sitting in his chair, probably thinking of something to say to break the silence.

Eventually, it seemed that he came up with something. "Well, look on the bright side," he grinned. "At least you have me and Mimi!"

I smiled and nodded. "You're right," I said warmly. I yawned and stretched, standing up and grabbing my water. "I should probably get back to sleep."

Laguna stood with me. "Do you need an escort back to your room?" he asked, pouring on his chivalry.

I smiled broadly, probably looking like a fan-girl instead of someone pleased by someone's offer to help. "Sure, that'd be great," I accepted. "Thanks."

"No problem."

The walk was silent and uneventful, but it still ended too soon. In no time at all we were in front of the door to Demi's room. My hand stilled on the handle, wishing I didn't have to say goodbye so soon. "See you in a bit," I said, rather than 'see you tomorrow' since tomorrow was today.

He grinned, picking up on my thoughts. "Sleep well," he said, then turned and walked down the hall, back in the direction of the kitchen.

I sighed, feeling empty now that he was gone, and opened the door to Demi's room. I walked inside and shut it quietly behind me, so as not to wake her. I set down my water on a table near the bed, then climbed under the sheets and cuddled with my pillow, hoping as hard as I could that when I fell asleep, I would again dream of a younger Laguna Loire, one that could actually feel for me as I do for him.


	4. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Dissidia, Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core, Final Fantasy VIII, or Avatar The Last Airbender.**

A/N: Well, you can obviously see how hung up on Laguna our poor Hikari is. It's so sad, like that girl with a crush on her teacher; it just can't happen, no matter how much she loves him! Please review if you like the story!

**What Matters Is Now**

**Chapter Three**

_Demi's POV_

The SeeD exam wasn't nearly as hard as everyone made it out to be. But then, I'd sort of expected to excell, since I did in everything else. I'm not conceited, not at all; I'm just stating a fact. I've always been at the top of my class.

It's surprising how much you can do with two 9mm pistols. In SeeD, gunmen and women are everywhere, and usually they're not really that well thought of. Everybody thinks shooting is easy. It's not, not at all. Especially if you do it like I do.

Who else can shoot through the middle of a playing card with a single bullet? Who else can kill a Galbadian soldier with two bullets? I guarantee you, if you come up behind me any way, you will have a gun at your head when I turn around.

And I hate that.

I hate how gifted I am. I'm the top of the class, the daughter of the most powerful man in the world, rich as sin, and revered by all. Too many people have tried to befriend and/or seduce me into being their friend so I could pay for everything they wanted. I was hesitant to even bring Hikari home with me.

But Hikari... She surprised me. She's so clumsy and innocent that she could easily be a hassle, but she's so happy. After being taken away from all her friends and abandoned by her parents, I would think that she'd be at least a little depressed, but no, there's always a smile on her face.

However, I'm a little suspicious that she likes my dad, which is really weird. But it's not too much of a surprise. Both he and I are used to the schoolgirl crushes he accumulates, so I was taking that risk when I brought her home. Still, I couldn't have someone as innocent and pretty in those dorm rooms with those sluts. Just the idea makes me shiver.

She told me about a dream she had with him in it. He was younger in the dream - naturally, since I'm sure she hates how old he is - and Kiros and Ward were there, too. Normally, I would pass it off as just a dream, but she mentioned something about them being soldiers. I had never told her that my dad and his friends used to be soldiers for the Galbadian Army. On one hand, she could've just dreamt that for the sake of dreaming it, and it was a coincidence. On the other hand, it might not have been just a dream, and she was dreaming it for a reason. But that idea was too crazy for me to wrap my mind around, so I decided not to bring it up. Also, I didn't want to hear Hikari gush about my dad.

Anyway, the SeeD exam. All that really happened was a fake attack on a sector of Esthar, and we had to halt the attack and shove them out. Easy. But Hikari was really stressed about it. Apparently she'd been told to deliver a message to Group D, but had been ambushed by enemy soldiers and had to fight them off. She hadn't been able to, and they'd gotten through to a checkpoint. It was a minor thing, no big deal really, but she was terrified that she wouldn't score high enough to pass because of her mistake.

Everyone that had participated in the exam gathered in the Fitness Room. Most of the girls were huddled together, discussing their performance and stressing about whether or not they'd get picked to be SeeD. Hikari was on the elyptical, excersizing her heart out, the earbuds in her ears drowning out all sound in her furious attempts to distract herself.

Instructor Daelux and Instructor Reter stepped into the room, still dressed in their white soldier jumpsuits and holding their helmets at their sides. Daelux, a very hands-off professor, leaned against the doorway while Reter, incurably meticulous, held a clipboard out in front of her, a black pen in her hand poised above the paper on the board.

Without prelude, she began calling out the names of those who had passed the SeeD exam. "Demi Loire," she said expressionlessly.

Of course they called my name first. Just to add to how _perfect_ I was. I pushed myself off the wall that I'd been leaning on and walked out the door, tossing an encouraging look to Hikari as she wrapped her headphones around her MP3 player.

I waited outside the Fitness Room for her, knowing how stressed she must be. The more people that came out the door, the more my sympathy for her grew. _She's probably in tears already,_ I thought, frowning. I had no doubts that she'd passed, but the anticipation would certainly be killing her.

Finally, she walked out the doors, letting out a squeal as soon as they shut behind her. I cringed at the sound, but smiled anyway, happy for her. "How'd you do?" I asked, putting a hand on her shoulder in an effort to calm her down.

"I _just barely_ passed!" she said breathlessly. She didn't seem fazed at all by the fact that she'd only 'just barely' passed, only elated by her achievement. "I'm so happy; I actually _passed!_" She spun around and stopped in front of the window, giving her reflection an evil smile. "Take _that_, mom and dad!" she yelled, then punched the glass, only to shake her hand in the air afterward in pain.

I laughed, crossing my arms. "Are you alright?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

She offered me an embarrassed smile. "Yeah, I'm fine," she said, clenching and unclenching her fist for emphasis. She shook it one last time, then returned her hands to their usual position at her hips. "I'm so happy," she breathed again. "I'm finally a SeeD, too."

I furrowed my brow. She didn't know any other SeeDs, did she? "What do you mean?" I asked, cocking my head to the side.

"Hm?" She seemed to have been jerked out of a thought. "Oh, I just meant my friends back in Balamb." She started walking, and I followed, waiting for her to continue, as I knew she would. She never had a shortage for words. "They all became SeeDs about half a year ago. Squall Leonhart was one of them - you might have heard of him. Then there was Selphie, and Zell, and Quistis Trepes, who used to be an instructor, but she got fired. Not for anything crazy, though; she sort of wanted to quit, anyway. You actually remind me of Squall in a way," she said, looking at me with thoughtful eyes. "Actually, in a lot of ways. I'd love to introduce you guys."

I shrugged indifferently. "I don't know," I said. "I'm not really one for meeting new people."

"Oh, that's not true!" Hikari argued, elbowing me lightly in the side. "You met me, right? And you were perfectly sweet. I'm sure you and Squall'd hit it off."

I couldn't help but smile at her persistance. "If you say so," I conceded, shrugging again.

She broke out in a wide smile. "Great! I'll give him a call later today. Hopefully, he'll be able to make it here before the big dance!"

"Big dance?" I asked. I'd heard nothing of a dance. Was it some Garden Festival thing? Was she already on the Commitee after one day?

She turned her head to me and stared at me like she thought I was joking, but then her face dawned with the realization that I really had no idea what she was talking about. "There's always a dance after the SeeD exam! Well, at least there is in Balamb. It's a way of celebrating out accomplishments, and finally using our dancing skills." She smiled at this, then continued. "There are also some prospective clients there, and people who need our help, so all the new SeeDs try and make a good impression so they'll get hired. It's all business," she sighed, shrugging as if in defeat.

I nodded in understanding. "That makes sense, though. When is it?"

"Probably tomorrow night, at the latest, though I expect it'll be tonight."

I looked at her in surprise. "How are you going to get that guy here by _tonight_?" I questioned.

She laughed a little, hiding her smile behind her hand. "Jeez, you're really eager to meet him, huh?" Before I could deny that, she kept talking. "He's got this really cool ship called the Ragnarok, and he knows where Esthar is, so he'd have no trouble navigating." She made a face and put a hand to her stomach. "I'm hungry. Let's go to the mall and get some food," she propositioned, but said it more like a question, her eyes searching mine for a sign of permission.

I sighed, shaking my head. "Alright. I'll call Grimoire to pick us up."

She squealed and clapped her hands while I took out my cell. Little did I know, I was about to make a really terrible, easily avoidable mistake.

The Mall of Esthar nearly rivaled my house in size. With 150 shops and at least 45 kiosks, it was a place that knew no hour when it didn't have bustling activity. I was glad that Grimoire didn't have to park, for it would've been impossible to leave, surrounded by the steading stream of people leaving and entering.

I smiled when I saw how Hikari regarded everything around her with awe. I could understand how amazing Esthar would look to a newcomer, but when you've lived here your entire life, the city sort of loses its luster.

The journey to the food court was long, and the shops were very distracting, but luckily Hikari's roaring stomach forbidded us from getting off track. Hikari found endless fun in riding the moving sidewalk, while I walked beside her, not nearly as enthralled by the boundless technology as she was.

After many minutes and moving sidewalks, we made it to the food court. It took a while to decide which store we would buy from, since there were at least twenty, but we finally decided on the pizzaria. She and I got a simple slice of cheese pizza and a soft drink to share, so we could economize - pretending that I wasn't as rich as I really was, which I was grateful for.

Halfway between the meal, I couldn't help but feel like we were being watched. In order not to worry Hikari, I discreetly scanned the surrounding area, making it look like I was simply observing the crowd.

There. He was standing in line at the chinese restaurant, but obviously wasn't paying attention to the movement of the customers ahead of him. People passed him by, absorbed in their own lives, and cut in front of him, annoyed that he was only standing there without moving. He was fully turned toward us, his eyes trained on Hikari.

In reflex, my right hand flew to my pistol at my thigh, hidden by my long trench, but upon further inspection, his gaze was fairly innocent. He had a smirk to his face and regarded her with interest, not anger, and his eyes kept flickering here and there, then always back to her face, which was turned mostly away from him.

I smiled as I realized he was checking her out. _Perfect,_ I thought. _A guy that's_ not_ my dad that she can be interested in. He's cute, I guess. Yes, he'll work._

"Hey, Hikari."

"Hm?" Her eyes snapped up to mine, her straw hanging out of her mouth. She took a long sip of her drink, then blew out a breath. "What is it?"

I motioned to the guy with my head. "Look at that guy over there," I told her, and she turned to where I was looking. "I think he's checking you out."

Her face turned an unmatchable shade of red and she turned back to the table with a speed I hadn't seen her manage before. "Oh my god, he's so hott!" she gushed in a whisper. "What should I do?"

I shrugged. "Go talk to him," I offered nonchalantly.

She looked at me with eyes as big as tennis balls. "_Talk_ to him? I can't just walk up and start talking to some strange guy! What am I supposed to say? 'Hey, I couldn't help but notice you staring at me; wanna make out?'"

I laughed. "Just go!" I exclaimed. waving her off with my hand. "Trust me, you'll regret it if you don't."

She seemed to think about this for a moment, then finally heaved a sigh. "Okay, fine," she muttered, then lifted herself up and walked over to the mystery guy.

_Hikari's POV_

_I can't believe I actually said I'd go talk to him! Now I can't turn back!_ I yelled at myself in my mind as I shuffled my way through the crowd to go talk to the guy who'd been staring at me. What if I said something stupid? What if I spit on him? What if I stuttered a lot? What if he hadn't even been looking at me in the first place? Oh god!

All too soon, I was in front of him, my eyes locked with his. He had long dark hair, almost black, that reached his neck in the back and brushed his eyes in the front. He had a pink scar on the left side of his face, but it in no way detracted from his overall look; in fact, it added to the whole bad boy thing he had going on. He wore black Converse with black skinny jeans and a long sleeved red shirt with black horizontal stripes. But the thing that really struck me about him was his eyes. They were the most beautiful gold I'd ever seen! I didn't even know that eyes could be that color!

I hadn't realized I'd been staring until he cleared his throat and shifted his balance onto his other leg. "Hey," he said, smirking at me with a raised eyebrow.

_Oh no, he thinks I'm crazy!_ "Hi," I returned. "I'm not crazy," I blurted out.

He chuckled. "I didn't think you were," he said, shaking his head.

_Oh my god..._ I laughed nervously, brushing my hair back over my shoulder. "So um... Now that I've completely embarrassed myself!" I offered him a smile, but figured I should probably get to the point. "I'm Hikari."

"Zuko," he replied. "Sorry if I was staring earlier; I just couldn't help but notice you."

I smiled and looked away bashfully. "I wouldn't say I'm _that_ noticeable," I said, trying to brush off his compliment politely.

"On the contrary," he said, turning my face towards his with his hand, making my cheeks flush, "you're the most beautiful girl I've seen in a long time. And I don't just say that to anyone," he added, stealing away my comeback straight from my throat.

I opened my mouth to say something, but found no words. I tried to look everywhere but his eyes; somehow it felt like they were seeing right through me. I didn't realize how close he was until his lips touched mine.

I tensed up entirely, but before I could fully react he'd pulled away. I blinked once, twice, three times, and tried to speak. "U-Uh..."

"Hope that wasn't too much for you," he joked, raising an eyebrow at me again, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"No, no, it was fine," I reassured him hastily, then mentally smacked myself.

"Do you have a cell?" he asked.

"Uh, yeah," I answered. "Of course!"

"Cool," he said, fishing out a pen from his back pocket. He grabbed my hand - his hands were so warm, like fire - and scribbled his number on my palm. When he was finished, he gave me a smirk and kissed the back of my hand. "Give me a call sometime."

"Okay," I said stupidly. I stepped back and waved goodbye, reveling in his eyes for a few more seconds before coming back to the table where Demi sat.

"So?" she asked. "How'd it go?"

I melted into the seat, my legs feeling like puddy. "He's amazing," I breathed. "He's so just... out there! He just went right ahead and kissed me and wrote his number on my hand!" I held out my hand for emphasis. "I love his impulsiveness; it's so refreshing."

Demi smiled warmly, and I could see in her eyes how happy she was for me.

I smiled back, regaining my composure. "Thanks so much for forcing me to talk to him," I said.

She laughed a little. "You're welcome," she said. Motioning to my tray, she asked, "Are you done? We should be getting home. We have to get ready for that dance, right?"

At the mention of the dance, all other thoughts fled my mind. "Right!" I exclaimed, standing up and gathering my things. "And I have to call Squall!" I waggled my eyebrows at her suggestively, and she only sighed and rolled her eyes.

**(floutist: SQUALL! YAY!)**


	5. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own Dissidia, Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core, Final Fantasy VIII, or Avatar: The Last Airbender.**

A/N: Sorry it's been so long! Well, I hope whoever is reading this is liking it! I'm confident that this will soon be a huge story with a million reviews, because it's straight from the heart! 3 Anyway, here's chapter four! **(floutist: Foreshadowing galore in this chappie and if you can spot it, a reference!)**

BTW: New songs!

LagunaxHikari: Sweet Dream - Beyonce, Down - Jay Sean ft. Lil Wayne, You And Me - Lifehouse

DemixSquall: Headlock - Imogen Heap, Beautiful Disaster - Kelly Clarkson, First Time - Lifehouse

**What Matters Is Now**

**Chapter Four**

_Demi's POV_

The post-SeeD exam formal dance was scheduled to begin at 6:00. Hikari felt it necessary to start getting ready at 12:45.

"It's a really important party!" was her reasoning. She was searching through my closet for a suitable dress - thankfully we were the same size - but so far she was out of luck. She was interested in something 'lighthearted and flowy'; all I had was elegant and black. "We have to look perfect. Do you have any idea how many people are gonna be there? Like, a hundred! Maybe more!" She took a dress from a hanger, looked at it for a moment, then made a face and tossed it behind her onto my bed. "There's gonna be future clients there, and representatives sent by _world leaders_ and _presidents!_ I wouldn't be surprised if your dad ended up going with us."

I pursed my lips when she said this. Even though she'd met Zuko today, and she'd spent an entire hour gushing about him and practically discussing what their children would look like, every time my father came into the picture, she'd blush and get all flustered and quiet; sometimes she would even stutter. I'd be lying if I said it didn't bother me, but what could I do about it? Hopefully, the more she hung out with Zuko, the more she'd forget about my father.

"Besides," she continued, her smile returning and her eyes turning to me, "Squall is gonna be there. You've got to look perfect when you meet him." She tossed another dress aside, then almost as an afterthought, she stammered, "N-Not to say that you don't _normally_ look perfect! Or that he's an egotistical, judgmental guy or anything. I just mean that- well, you _know_ what I mean, right? You do, don't you?"

I couldn't help but laugh a little at how scared she was to upset anyone. "Yeah, I know what you mean," I answered, rewarded with a relieved smile.

"Good," she muttered, moving some dresses along the rack. She gasped and smiled brightly, pulling a lavender silk dress out of the closet that I'd forgotten that I had. She held it up against her and twirled around, catching glances of herself in the mirror. "Ohmygod Demi, it's _gorgeous!_"

I smiled. "I forgot about it," I told her, and she gaped at me like I'd committed a crime in doing so. "My dad gave it to me two years ago for a birthday present, hoping I'd wear something other than black. I think it still has the tags, actually."

"How have you never worn this before?" she asked breathlessly, holding it to her like it was part of her soul.

I shrugged. "Not my style, I guess. You can have it if you want," I offered.

She let out a squeal and jumped over a box of shoes to hug me tightly. "Thank you so much!" she trilled, and I almost had to push her off.

"You're welcome," I choked out, rubbing my throat when she let go. She seemed oblivious to my pain, however; she hung the dress on the poles of my bed and gathered together a towel and a robe.

"I'm gonna take a shower really quick, okay?"

I waved her on. "Take your time," I said. _We've still got four hours,_ I muttered in my thoughts. Who needed six hours to get ready for a dance? All we were going to be doing was talking, and perhaps a dance or two; nothing to get stressed about.

I stood and made my way to my closet, looking through the dresses that were still hanging for one that I could wear. I soon found a long, elegant, strapless navy blue one, made of silk, with a lighter blue sash on the waist. I hung my dress next to Hikari's and smiled as I compared the two. Hers was strapless satin with a thin layer of translucent silk over it tying behind the neck, about

knee-length with a darker purple sash high on the waist.

I shook my head. It was just like her to wear something as airy as that dress, while I wore a form-fitting dark ensemble. Nobody would believe us standing next to each other in that ballroom.

After about ten minutes, Hikari stepped out of the bathroom in a light robe, dabbing at her hair with a small towel. "You can use it now, if you want," she said, giving me a little smile.

"'Kay, thanks." I took a towel with me into the bathroom and shut the door behind. I set the towel on the toilet and turned on the shower, playing with hairstyles in the mirror until the water was hot enough. Stripping quickly, I stepped under the hot water, letting it soak me through to my very core. I'd always loved showers, even if I had to force myself to get up and take one sometimes. I'm not a religious person, but something about the water seemed almost spiritual; the way it took away all the traces of the past day, cleaning your body and cleansing your soul in a way. Getting rid of all your problems and negativity, at least for a small moment in time.

I took my time, shampooing and conditioning my hair twice and using three different kinds of body wash - I could only imagine how I would smell; like a fruity, flowery power house - and humming some songs to myself to pass the time. It seemed like hours before I was done, but when I opened the door and stepped into my room, it was only a half hour later.

Hikari's hair was dry by then, and she was brushing it in front of my vanity, smiling to herself in a sort of dreamy way, her eyes looking at a place light-years away. I raised my eyebrow and cleared my throat softly, and it seemed to jerk her back into reality.

"Oh, hey!" she said, recovering quickly. "Sorry, I was just spacing out."

I shrugged. "It's cool."

She turned back to the mirror. "I'm trying to decide what I should do for my makeup," she explained, sounding thoughtful and slightly frustrated.

"Don't wear any," I offered. She looked at me like I'd just told her to rob a bank. "You look great without makeup. Seriously, you don't need to wear it."

She smiled bashfully. "Really? Thanks," she said, as if she'd never heard it before.

I furrowed my brow as I noticed this. Aren't parents supposed to tell you those kinds of things? It made me wonder: what were her parents like? From what she told me, it seemed that they'd just ignored her feelings and shipped her halfway across the world like that would solve everything and get her off their backs. I frowned at the thought. I didn't like the idea of someone treating Hikari badly. She was too sweet of a person to get angry at someone; she needed to either learn how to stand up for herself or someone had to do it for her. And until she could find someone who would be her permanent body guard, I'd have to fit the bill.

Not that I minded being around her. She was fun and silly, and made me laugh and smile more than most people could. I guess I admired her in a way, and somehow I knew she felt the same way about me. Perhaps she sees strength in me, and she wants that for herself.

I looked away and threw my towel into the hamper. Where she sees strength, I see walls. Strength is the ability to build yourself back up after being hurt. All I did was prevent the things from hurting me in the first place. That wasn't strength in my eyes; it was cowardice.

"Are you okay?" Hikari asked, swiveling in the chair to face me.

I met her eyes and smiled. "Yeah, I'm fine," I replied. I headed for the bathroom. "I'm gonna dry my hair."

"Have fun," Hikari joked, turning back to the mirror and making a face as she opened up one of my lipsticks.

After many hours and many different makeup schemes, Hikari and I were finally walking down the stairs to the garage.

But of course, we were fated to run into my father before we could finally escape.

He and Hikari nearly ran into each other as he exited his office, and her face went an impossible shade of red. "U-Uh, sorry," she stuttered, looking away to avoid meeting his eyes.

A disapproving scowl crossed my face for just a second, and then it was gone before either of them could notice.

My father seemed to ignore her apology and stared at us like we were priceless gems. "Look at you two!" he said, just like a father was supposed to. "You're visions!"

I rolled my eyes. "Thanks, dad," I groaned, but smiled nonetheless. My father may be goofy and childish, but I love him.

Hikari's blush did nothing but deepen, and she still didn't meet his eyes. I fought the urge to punch my father when he lifted her face with his hand under her chin and offered her a smile that was sure to make her weak at the knees, unbeknownst to him, of course. "You look beautiful, too, Hikari," he said, his face a little too close to hers for me to be comfortable.

Hikari's eyes widened like a child, and her mouth opened slightly, like she was trying to speak but couldn't find the words.

My father offered her a crooked smile before standing up straight again - for he was so much taller than her that he had to practically bend over to be at eye-level with her - and heaving a sigh. "Well, I better get back to work."

"You're not coming?" I asked, confused. It made sense for him to go.

He shook his head. "Naw, too much to do. Presidential stuff," he explained with a secretive wink. "You guys wouldn't be interested."

Another way to say "confidential". I knew him well enough to pick up on what he didn't want me to know. He was talking with Kiros and Ward about whether or not it would be a good idea to bring Esthar back into the world, take it out of hiding. Most of the world already knew about us, but it was one thing to tell everyone that we're here and to actually be _reachable_. I understood his dilemma, though; he was afraid of what people would say about his decision to remain hidden for so long. They would call him a coward. So he had to think of speeches and appropriate excuses for his actions, which wasn't really his strong point. Sure, he was charismatic and people liked him, but even the most likeable people got torn down when it came to politics.

Poor Father; he had so much on his plate and no idea how to deal with it.

I, of course, couldn't help but notice how Hikari's face fell, if only slightly, at this news. "Oh," was all she said, though that one syllable was filled with so much disappointment that it almost surprised me that my Father didn't pick up on it. Then again, he was so dense that he'd hardly notice if someone shot him in the face.

"Well, we should probably be going," I said, gently laying my hand on Hikari's shoulder, silently rousing her from her thoughts. "No doubt Grimoire is in the garage waiting for us."

Father laughed at this. "Aw, let him sweat it out a bit. That man's too stiff as it is." He started to walk away, then turned back around. "Don't forget your phone," he told me.

Once again, I rolled my eyes, and shook my phone in front of me, earning a smirk from my Father.

"Alright, Mimi. Now, text me _at least_ every hour, or I'll call you and embarrass you in front of whatever boy you're meeting at this party. Got it?"

My mouth dropped open and I was sure I was blushing. "How did you -?" I started.

Father tapped his temple with his index finger. "I've been there, Mimi. I'm not as stupid as you think." He waved to us - his eyes met Hikari's for just a second, and I watched her reaction in my peripheral vision; as far as I could see, she didn't notice - and walked past us down the hall, shoving his hands in his pockets like the twenty-one year old he'll forever be.

I shoved Hikari lightly and was sure to smile at her. "Alright, wake up from your dream and come with me," I joked lightheartedly, though my mind was preoccupied with much heavier thoughts. "Don't forget, you have to introduce me to that SeeD guy."

She immediately perked up at this reminder. "Right!"

It seemed that the second I entered the ballroom, Hikari was gone. She'd vanished from my side with only a few words about how she was "going to go find Squall." I wasted my time away leaning against a rectangular pillar near the balcony, away from the rest of dancing party. Who were they kidding? Only half of them knew the dances, and those slutty girls were just trying to bust a move or two at these "foreign" men, most of them much older and married, though still regarding the young women with wide and eager eyes.

I sighed, wondering where class had run off to in the past years, but all too soon, yet not soon enough, Hikari wandered up, tugging a tall, brown-haired man behind her. Or, perhaps not a man, not _yet_ at least, but getting there. His hair hung in his face, though when he shook his head it obediently flew to his temples, seeming ragged and polished at the same time, something quite hard to accomplish. An earring glittered on one ear, and a silver necklace disappeared underneath his dress shirt, and his brown eyes shone in a way that complimented his jewelry, as if reflecting the light and letting only bits and pieces of it in. His uninterested expression mirrored this, this shunning of the light, content in its darkness, its unhappiness, its ignorance. Just looking at him made me sad; I wanted to give him all my happiness, but he rejected it.

Hikari's smile more than made up for his shadows, lighting up the room. "Demi, I want you to meet my good friend, Squall Leonhart." She pushed Squall forward a few steps, and he took one back, apparently unsettled by how close we were. She gave him a glance, but continued with a smile. "Squall, this is Demi Loire."

Obviously he wasn't going to initiate a conversation, so I decided to begin. I held my hand out. "Nice to meet you, Squall," I said, smiling.

He nodded and shook my hand, but said nothing.

There was an awkward moment of silence, then Hikari clapped her hands together. "Okay, well, I'm gonna go!" she announced. "I'll see you guys later!"

I gave her a little wave with my fingers even though she'd already turned away, then turned back to the young man before me.

He scuffed the floor with his shoe. "So..." he started, his voice low and delicious.

_Ew, did I really just think "_delicious_"? I'm spending way too much around Hikari._ "So," I mimicked, trying to think of a good subject to talk about. "How'd you meet Hikari?"

"She almost ran over me in the parking lot," he explained. "She wouldn't stop apologizing for the next three weeks after that."

I smiled and laughed a little. "That sounds like her. Always clumsy."

The corners of his mouth turned up in a smile. Progress. "Yeah. It doesn't really seem like she's changed. Being a SeeD won't do anything for her."

"What do you mean?" But I already knew what he meant.

"It's what her parents want for her, but it's not what she wants. It's not what she's good at. If she doesn't have someone to look out for her, she'll just end up dead." His words sounded unemotional, but I could see in his eyes as he watched her dance that she was a dear friend to him. Apparently this heart _was_ penetrable.

I made a small sound of agreement, not ready to completely open up to him yet, though something was definitely compelling about him. I wanted to tell him everything, all about me and my life and my thoughts and feelings, and then I could cry, just sob in his arms...

Whoa, slow down. "Let's go to the balcony," I suggested. _Maybe some fresh air will clear my head,_ I thought.

"Sure," he said, and we walked outside. I leaned against the rail, while he stayed a little farther behind, a troubled expression on his face.

"What's wrong?" I asked, turning to face him completely.

He blinked and seemed to come back to the present. "Nothing," he responded, stepping forward as if to prove that nothing was holding him back. "Just thinking about the past."

"Wanna talk about it?"

"Not really."

"Okay."

Another silence, this one longer than the last. It was actually sort of nice, standing in the quiet night with him, under the stars. Sort of romantic, I guess...

"So what's your story?" he asked suddenly, and I jumped a little, snapping my head around to look at him. He just stared off into the distance, then his eyes flickered to mine and I felt my face heating up.

I looked away quickly, focusing on a building in the distance, emanating a small electric glow. "Daughter of a President, treated more like a treasure to be stolen than a child, one friend, impossibly rich, and yet impossibly unhappy." I turned back to him, in a way sizing him up. I saw that he was doing the same to me. "What's yours?"

"Mom died when I was young, went to an orphanage, had my Sis taken away from me, shipped to Balamb Garden, became a SeeD, killed a Sorceress, yet I still don't feel like I've accomplished anything. At least, nothing really important."

"Wow," I said, blinking. "Here." I held my champagne out to him. "You need this more than I do."

He laughed then, a real laugh, and the sound was so rich and wonderful that I had to laugh, too.

"You have a beautiful laugh," Squall said.

I stopped laughing. "Thanks," I said reluctantly, blushing and running my fingers through my hair nervously. Since when did one innocent comment make me completely lose it? Apparently since him. "You, too."

He smiled. I guess it was a weird thing to call a guy's laughter beautiful. "Thanks."

"Hm," I muttered in response, nodding to him. I glanced away, desperate to find another topic of conversation, and my eyes caught on something slightly troubling.

Squall must have seen the unhappiness on my face. "What's wrong?"

"My father decided to show up," I said, glaring at him. Of course, he was talking to Hikari, her eyes wide and her face red. Poor girl. "He said he wasn't going to be here."

"You don't want him here?"

"Not particularly."

After a moment of watching him practically flirt with my best friend, I realized that I was unintentionally killing this date. In a pitiful effort to save what I hadn't ruined, I turned back to Squall and asked, "Do you want to dance?"

He blinked at first, obviously surprised by the suddenness of my request, but complied nonetheless. He took my hand and began leading me to the dance-floor, but when my eyes rested on my father dancing with Hikari, I stood my ground. Squall looked back at me, confused.

"How about we dance here?" I offered hurriedly. "You know, away from the crowd. It's nicer that way."

He shrugged. "Alright."

And in no less than a few seconds, I was swept into his arms, a hand wrapped in his larger one, chest to chest, eye to eye. My face flushed and my heart soared at the feeling. I'd never felt more comfort in this half-embrace than I'd ever felt in all the hugs I'd received in my entire life. The warmth of his body cradling my coldness, my sheer unhappiness, my transparent smile... It was as if he was giving life to all the things that I so constantly faked. Each smile turned into a laugh, every sad memory and spiteful thought faded, and through the smoke emerged a light. This single memory, this one feeling, this only night could outshine all of my lesser memories. It was more than I'd ever dreamed, and I found myself resting my head on his chest, and moving closer, melting into him.

I raised my head to speak, to tell him just how wonderful he was, how much _feeling_ he was giving me, but when I met his eyes, every word vanished on my tongue. Stupidly, I whispered his name, and thankfully, before I could say anything else, his lips captured mine in a kiss that was utter moonlight. Silky and beautiful and oh so romantic.

It ended much too soon, and we stared into each others' eyes for the longest time, praying that these moments would last, that time would freeze and we could enjoy this forever together.

"Squall," I whispered. "I really like you."

"I really like you, too, Demi," he responded.

"I want to see you again," I said. "After this, I mean. I don't want this to be the first and last time I see you."

"I know," he sighed, and rested his forehead against mine. "But I have to leave tomorrow. I have to report back to Balamb Garden's Headmaster. I'll be back as soon as I can, though."

"You promise?" I asked, moving back and gazing into his eyes, searching for any sign that he was lying to me, any at all.

"I promise." He kissed me again, holding me to him, and I knew that I could stay there forever. I would never breathe again, never see again, only kiss him and feel him near me and I would always be happy. It really blew my mind at how one simple dance had stirred such feelings in me, but I didn't think about it. I didn't try to dissect it, I just let it be. This had no rhyme or reason to it, it just was. And I would see him again. That's all that mattered. I would see him again...

"Hey, guys?"

We broke apart to see Hikari edging her way onto the balcony, a sheepish look on her face, probably hesitant to interrupt. "Yes?" Squall asked, and I nearly giggled at the irritation in his voice.

Hikari swallowed. "The dance is over. It's time to go home."

I sighed. It was all too soon, much too soon. I said my goodbyes to Squall, kissing him one last time before heading outside, where Grimoire had already started the car. I saw no sign of my father, and Hikari said nothing about him, so I ignored it. Who cared about my father's reasons for attending? All that mattered was Squall Leonhart, and that soon, I would see him again.

"So?" Hikari asked when we'd made it back to my room. "Should I go into the matchmaking business?"

"Shut up," I told her, but couldn't stop an uncharacteristic giggle from slipping between my lips.

She squealed, as I expected her to, and jumped onto my bed, lying on her stomach with her feet waving in the air. "Tell me everything!"

And, with a huge grin on my face that refused to go away, I did.

* * *

I got the feel of the conversation between Squall and Demi from Theme of Love from Final Fantasy V. Another good one is, of course, Eyes On Me from Final Fantasy VIII. Well, it's 11:43, I have school tomorrow, and I'm gonna go to bed! G'nite everybody!


	6. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own Dissidia, FFVII, FFVII:CC, FFVIII, or ATLA.**

A/N: Wow, it's been a while. Well, this chapter is most likely going to be completely in Hikari's POV, so that'll be easier for me. The last two chapters were a bit of a struggle, since they were in Demi's (aka: floutistvivi's) POV, which is very different from Hikari's, who's basically me. So this'll probably come faster and be easier than the last chapter! Sorry about the wait! Hope people are actually reading this; not many people read crossovers. =( Please review! It lets me know you're out there.

**What Matters Is Now**

**Chapter Five**

_Hikari's POV_

After the SeeD dance, Demi and I stayed up late talking out Squall, and what she thought about him. I was very attuned to their progress during the entire dance, always glancing over at them and using my peripheral vision to check up on them. Sometimes I'd even catch snippets of conversation, but that stopped when they went out onto the balcony. From what she says, I definitely _should_ go into the matchmaking business! I think I've got the eye.

When we'd finally wore ourselves out, Demi and changed into our PJ's, hung up our beautiful dresses, and went to sleep.

Well, at least she did.

I, on the other hand, lay in bed staring at the ceiling, absentmindedly destroying my cuticles from stress. Not long ago I'd heard Laguna come back home; I'd been listening for the door and footsteps all night. He said that he'd be out late, but I hadn't expected him to be gone _that_ long.

I couldn't stop thinking about the dance. I was happy for Demi, and since she didn't mention anything about Laguna and I, I'm assuming she didn't notice us. Good thing, too; she'd probably get mad. I could tell she didn't like him spending time with me, and I can understand. I mean, she knew I had a dream about him, which is basically code for CRUSH - except in certain situations - and she most likely didn't want my infatuation with him encouraged. Laguna - sweet, dense Laguna - was oblivious to my feelings toward him, if they even _were_ true feelings, and continued to spend plenty of time with me.

I closed my eyes and played the dance back through my head for the millionth time.

I was dancing on the floor, not particularly with anyone but not lamely dancing with myself. I was keeping Squall and Demi in my sight, and suddenly someone was blocking my vision. I did a spin to try and see past him, but he just sidestepped in front of me again. I sighed, wondering who was that rude, and looked up. I stopped dancing immediately.

Laguna stood in front of me with his usual open smirk, in a navy suit with indigo trimmings, looking similar to the SeeD uniforms, but with completely different colors. He really stood out among all the cream and white colors around him, and I suppose I did, too, in a lavender dress. He was, naturally, looking down at me, and I found myself, once again, cursing how short I was. Or perhaps it was simply that he was abnormally tall... Whoever the culprit was for this awkward stare, I cursed them.

"Hey," I said, thankful that I could force my voice box to work.

"Hey," he replied, his hands in his pockets, looking extremely casual in such a formal scene.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, then realized how rude the question was. "I-I mean, you said you weren't coming..." Way to make it worse, Hikari.

He shrugged. "I changed my mind." He glanced in the direction of Demi and Squall and saw them walk out on the balcony together. He grimaced slightly, but still held a cheerful disposition. "I had a sneaking suspicion it would be in my best interest to keep an eye on Mimi tonight. Looks like I was right." He turned back to me and pinned a mock accusatory glare on me. "I assume you're the one to blame for this?"

I blinked, my face flushing. "Uh-uh, yeah," I admitted, looking down, my lips twitching from a smile to a frown, back and forth. I wasn't sure what to make of the situation. "Sorry."

Laguna laughed, shaking his head. "It's fine! Don't get so worked up." He took hold of the hand that rested at my side and bent down slightly, so he was remotely at eye level with me. "Let loose. Dance with me."

I enjoyed a momentary loss for words before I very coolly uttered, "Okay."

With yet another smile, Laguna drew me to him, putting my hands on his shoulders, then lay his hands on my waist. A slow song seemed to begin right on cue, and we moved our feet to the beat, turning in circles with all the couples as if we were one of them. I'm sure I received some looks, but I didn't notice, nor did I care. This moment was as close to perfect as I'd ever been.

Except for one thing.

"You're too tall," I told him, a laugh in my voice as I emphasized my sentence by rising up on my tiptoes.

He laughed at this, too. "I'm not _that_ tall," he protested.

"Please!" I objected. "The only part of my body that's touching you are my fingertips." I drummed my fingers along his shoulders, only the very ends of my digits able to reach him without strain.

He rolled his eyes jokingly. "Alright, fine." Before I knew what he was doing, he got a firm grip on my waist and was hoisting me into the air. For just a moment, everything seemed to slow down to almost freeze-frame. My eyes were exactly level with his, our faces close, his strong arms holding me to him, our lips so close it was almost heartbreaking.

And then reality began again, and he set me down on his feet, so I'd virtually gained at least two inches. His feet moved me, and I was forced to be practically pressed against him, something I didn't entirely mind; I made a mental note that, despite his age, he still had a very nicely built chest.

I took the advantage he'd provided me with and wrapped my arms around his neck, his hair slipping through my fingers with ease, his blue eyes sending shivers down my spine as he gazed into mine. "I must look ridiculous," I complained halfheartedly. "I feel like a child."

"You _are_ a child," Laguna pointed out, raising an eyebrow at me and smirking.

I frowned and gave him my best "whatever" look. "I'm a young lady, thank you," I retorted, then, unable to hold my serious face any longer, laughed through my smile and leaned forward until I rested my head on his shoulder, too embarrassed to look him in the eyes.

"You sure are," he mocked, but I detected a note of seriousness in his tone that I was quite sure I imagined. After all, what could he possibly see in me? Guys like him - guys his _age_ - weren't interested in girls like me. That's just how things worked.

And I swear it will kill me.

I woke up the next morning in an unfamiliar bed that smelled of hairspray and fabric softener. Not a bad smell, but definitely not what Demi's bed smelled like. I had somehow changed back into my dress that I'd worn for the SeeD Party, instead of my white-and-black panda pajamas. Sitting up, I saw off-white walls with paintings of various city scenes, a burgundy desk with a green lamp and a wooden chair stained the same burgundy as the desk. The bed had red and cream sheets and much too many pillows.

With furrowed brows and a mind full of questions, I stood and made my way to the door, as if in a trance. The hallway was a replica of the room's color scheme, only stretched to fill a longer space. My feet moved me through the cramped corridor, and from the numbers on the doors I gathered that I was in a hotel. A seemingly nice hotel at that, but I still couldn't understand why I was here. The last thing I remember was falling asleep... Perhaps this was another Laguna dream? If so, it was a lucid dream. I'd never had a lucid dream before. I smiled at this, and at the idea of seeing younger, flirty Laguna again.

My pace quickened and I found a staircase, quickly making my way down the steps with my hand barely brushing the banister. I heard a piano fainting playing as I reached the lobby, and noticed yet another staircase, this one draped in an extravagant red carpet, as if leading to a celebrity.

That seemed to be the direction from which the music was coming. Maybe Laguna was down there. I stepped lightly, taking my time on these steps, searching for Laguna as the lower floor came into my view. I smiled brightly as I saw him sitting with Kiros and Ward at a table in the corner of this seeming-to-be bar. His two partners were saying something to him, and Kiros gave him a push. Laguna rolled his eyes and stood, walking over to me.

I held my breath. Had he already seen me? Had he been expecting me? Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh!

Wait, he wasn't coming toward the stairs. He walked right past me, going for... the piano? Why the piano?

I looked ahead of him to the piano player, a young woman with black hair and a sweet face. I noticed how her eyes kept flicking from her music to Laguna, a small smile growing on her face.

My teeth ground together, though I had no reason to be jealous. I stepped back into the shadows, watching, wondering what he would do, if he would talk to this woman who so obviously was interested in him.

He walked up to the piano and simply stood there for a moment, then he bent his leg and put his hand to it, his face screwing up in pain. He walked around in a circle, favoring his seemingly injured leg, and I realized he must have a leg cramp. Strange and terrible moment to get a leg cramp.

His face flushed and he turned away from the piano, heading back for the table. The woman's expression dropped and she looked back to her music, a disappointed frown on her face.

I hadn't realized I'd been standing there for such a long time until the woman came up to Laguna's table and started talking to him. Kiros and Ward had just seconds ago left the table and right when I watched Julia slip into Laguna's booth, they found me in the shadows of the staircase.

"Hikari?" Kiros asked, an almost confused and surprised expression on his face.

"You're awake!" Ward said, a smile on his face. Apparently, despite how rude I was to him when he'd mowed me over in the forest, he still .

"Um, yeah. How long was I out?" Did time pass differently here? Oh, what was I talking about? This wasn't a place, just a dream. None of this was real.

"The whole day," Ward told me. "Laguna was starting to get worried."

I perked up immediately. "Really?" I asked. I hated how hopeful my voice was.

Kiros nodded. "Yeah. He kept checking up on you, always making some excuse to go back upstairs."

I blushed. He'd been in my room while I was sleeping? "Oh. Well, it was sweet of him to worry."

Ward shrugged. "That's what he does, you know?"

"Yeah, he seems like the type." For some reason, I felt like I couldn't let them know that I actually knew Laguna from the future. It might weird them out, even though they were figments of my imagination. I wondered though: if this was a dream, why was Laguna talking to some other girl? Was this a nightmare?

Kiros glanced at Laguna. "Hm. Seems like the conversation's going well."

I followed his eyes and saw Julia laughing, and a smile spread across Laguna's face. I frowned, my teeth coming together behind my lips. This was most certainly a nightmare.

"Hikari?"

I snapped my head back to Ward, blinking. "What? Sorry."

"I asked if you wanted to talk to him."

"What? Oh, no." I shook my head. "I wouldn't want to interrupt."

Kiros gave Ward a look that I couldn't quite interpret. "Yeah, he's finally talking to Julia, right? It's about time."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

Kiros turned to me. "He's been pining after her for a while. Every time we come to Deling, he insists on staying at this hotel, and always goes to watch Julia play. It's sort of sad, really. He never has the guts to go and talk to her, and when he tries he runs away and blames it on a leg cramp."

"Lame," Ward agreed, shaking his head.

"Hm." All I could do was stare at them, talking and smiling. I hated it. For the first time in my life, I really hated someone. I hated this Julia, I really did. Not so much that I wanted her to die, but I wouldn't feel bad if I saw her crying.

"You wanna wait for him?" Kiros offered.

I shook my head, narrowing my eyes and Julia put her hand on his. "No. I'll just look around, I guess."

"In the city?" Ward asked. "Alone? Are you sure that's a good idea?"

I shrugged. "Why wouldn't it be?"

Kiros and Ward exchanged a glance, but left me to my own business.

Apparently, it actually _wasn't_ such a good idea to wander around a city of endless night by yourself. I found myself developing paranoia with every step I took, always looking over my shoulder, probably appearing like a dancer to everyone around me with all the times I spun around in the middle of the sidewalk, anticipating a mugger or a rapist with every turn.

Finally, my racing heart convinced me to return to the hotel. I spun around in my heels, stumbled a little, and ran into the person in front of me. I already knew who it was before I saw his face. The electricity that ran through his hands to my arms as he caught me was a dead giveaway.

I lifted my head, already blushing, and saw Laguna's stunning face smirking down at me. "You okay?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at my clumsiness.

I nodded, finding it hard to speak around him. An image of Julia's hand lying on top of his flashed through my mind, and my heart steeled over. I stepped back, brushing off the skirt of my dress. "What are you doing here?" I asked, a little too rudely than I'd meant it to be.

His brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"

Oh crap, I'd just confronted him. Way to make yourself look completely jealous, Hikari. "Well, you looked like you were having fun with Julia," I pointed out, rubbing my forearms in the cold air.

Laguna seemed to sigh and shrugged off his jacket, easily matching my stride, and draped it over my shoulders. "You saw that, huh?" he asked, sounding much more serious than I'd ever heard him. Then again, that wasn't really saying much.

"Yeah, I saw that." Why couldn't I stop being such a bitch? I was totally ruining this! But it just kept pouring out! "So?" I glanced sideways at him, then returned my eyes to the walkway in front of me. "Why didn't you stay with her?"

He shrugged, shoving his hands into his pockets. "She invited me to her room after we talked and everything-" my face flushed, and my hatred for her grew "-and I was on my way up when Kiros and Ward told me you woke up. I had to check on you," he said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

I blinked, twice, then looked up at him, confused. "But... you like her, don't you?" I asked.

He shrugged again, but I could tell he was under exaggerating.

I stopped and turned to him, drawing his jacket closer around me. "So why didn't you just go? You could have seen me later. You're totally missing your chance with her!"

Laguna looked at me for a moment before smiling. "Maybe I want a chance with you instead."

I froze completely. It took what seemed like hours for his sentence to register in my brain. "Y-You do?" I asked, blinking so much I was surprised my eyes didn't burn from friction.

He nodded. "You're a really interesting girl," he explained, stepping forward a step, my blush deepening at his close proximity. "Besides, Julia will be there for a while. You, on the other hand, might pass out again, and I don't know when I'd be able to talk to you like this again."

I raised my eyebrows. "So I'm only first because I might pass out?" I asked, slightly offended. "What if I did? Right now? Would you just take me back to the hotel and go meet with Julia?"

"No!" Laguna exclaimed, slightly bewildered. "That's not what I meant. I just mean... I don't know how to explain it. I just like you, Hikari, and I want to spend time with you, get to know you. Will you let me?"

I was finding it impossible to be angry with him when he was looking into my eyes with that apologetic, pleading expression. As my heart melted under his gaze, I was struck by the sudden urge to kiss him. I swallowed. "O-Okay," I muttered.

Laguna smiled and took my hand, taking me with him as we walked down the streets. He showed me everything: the President's house, the movie theater, the shop central, the Arc de Triomphe replica. The city was beautiful, the lights were amazing, and the night was so romantic. It really felt like a movie-inspired date.

I wasn't quite sure where we were, but we were standing on the sidewalk, looking out at the ocean from behind a iron railing, benches on each side of us. The area was mostly empty, save for the old couple sitting on the other side of the street, feeding birds.

I sighed, breathing in the crisp night air. "This is a dream," I said incredulously.

Laguna turned to me, leaning against the railing. "What makes you say that?"

I looked over my shoulder at him. "It's all just too perfect. A walk around the city at night with a cute, funny guy who actually seems to like me for more than my looks? Stuff like this just doesn't happen, not really."

He smiled and took a step toward me, his hand brushing my arm, turning me toward him gently. A blush lit up my face, and I found it impossible to look away from his eyes. My heart beat against my chest, which was so close to his I could practically feel the heat from his body.

"It isn't a dream," he said, his voice so soft, but it didn't matter; his lips were so close that I could almost hear his silent breath. "It's real. _I'm_ real." His hand slid down my arm to my waist, erecting a shiver that shot its way down my spine at the charge that went through me at his touch, and his other hand came to my side as well. "This... is real."

His lips met mine, soft and sweet, asking for permission instead of taking. I tensed at the electric shock that flew through me, and I knew he felt it, too, for he pulled back and blinked at me. Such a simple touch, yet our breathing was almost ragged, as if all the air had been stolen from our lungs.

"Laguna?" I whispered, wide-eyed.

"Yeah?" He seemed unsure of what to do with his hands; they flitted away from me, then back again, his fingertips brushing my waist, making it impossible to think clearly.

"Kiss me again," I told him.

"Okay." He hardly had time to breathe the word before his lips captured mine, and I nearly gasped at the difference. His hand tangled in my hair, pressing against the back of my neck as his mouth ravaged mine. His other arm wrapped around my waist, crushing me to him until I could hardly breathe. I moaned into him, sliding my hands along his chest to wrap around his neck.

It seemed to last forever, but at the same time it ended much too soon. I was struck by a strange feeling in my head and pulled away, furrowing my brow and shutting my eyes tightly.

"Hm? What's wrong?" Laguna asked. I could still hear the passion in his voice, the husky quality, and felt a little bad for ending the kiss so soon.

"I don't know," I admitted. "My head feels... funny..."

"Here, sit down." He helped me to a bench and I collapsed onto it, holding my forehead and massaging my temples. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," I lied. My ears were ringing, my head was pounding... I blinked repeatedly, my vision getting blurrier every time I opened my eyes. Laguna's gorgeous blue eyes, slowly getting out of focus... "I just... need to... sleep..."

"Hikari? Hikari! Hikari......."


	7. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own Dissidia, FFVII, FFVII:CC, FFVIII, or ATLA.**

A/N: Sorry it took so long! I'm really focusing on Anything For You right now. I just wanna get it done! lol Once it's done, then I can come back to WMIN, and TIaTL, and Speeding Cars. Well, I'm expecting about nine chapters in Anything For You, and then I will bring all my focus back to those three! I also want to bring back Blood, and Roses Are Red. Anyway, this chapter will be easy, sort of, I'm actually not sure! haha We'll see how it goes. Mostly just conversation for a while. Hope you like!

**What Matters Is Now**

**Chapter Six**

_Hikari's POV_

My eyes snapped open, and I felt weightless. Colors rushed past me, and an awful ringing began in my ears, and I cupped my hands to them but it didn't help. I shut my eyes, willing the terrible sound to go away, make this rushing stop, halt the tugging feeling in my chest...

I opened my eyes again, in bed in Demi's room, same as last night. The sheets were finely pressed and tucked under the bed, feeling like an itchy straight-jacket against my sweaty skin. I fidgeted this way and that, trying to get out without waking Demi, who was already mumbling and turning away from me in sleep. I was convinced that one of those mutterings was Squall's name, and a huge smile spread on my face as I landed on my feet. Oh yeah, they were definitely hooking up.

As if irritated by my happy mood, and sadistically wanting to cause me pain, the ringing in my ears returned, and I winced, stumbling and knocking my shoulder against the wall.

Just as soon as it began, it stopped. I blinked, my eyes wide in the utter darkness, and furrowed my brow. What was going on? Was I having a migraine or something? I'd never had a migraine before, so it _was_ possible. I certainly had a strange headache...

I tiptoed out of her room, suddenly drastically thirsty, and pondered. Maybe I was just disoriented because I'd gotten up so fast after lying down. That happened to me sometimes, and all the blood would rush to my head and I'd get dizzy. Yes, that must be it. And that weird rushing feeling was probably just me getting out of my dream state. Or maybe it _was_ a dream. My head hurt. I stopped thinking about it.

I spotted a light on down the hallway, and smiled a little. So Laguna was in the kitchen again tonight.

Then I frowned. Wait, I'd just kissed him. _No, that was a dream,_ the rational side of me said. But it was so real! I could feel everything that happened: the electricity, the passion, my heart and his racing together as our bodies clashed...

My cheeks flushed, and I stopped outside the kitchen, taking a deep breath to calm myself. _That couldn't have been a dream,_ I thought. _Dreams can't be that real, can they?_

Sufficiently peachy, and not beet red, I walked into the kitchen, blinking tiredly at the light, even though it was relatively dim compared to any other light in the house.

Laguna noticed me immediately and offered me a smile. "Hey there," he said.

"Hey," I answered, tossing him a grin and sitting down across from him. I shook my head and blushed, realizing my mistake and getting back up again. "Forgot my water," I muttered, pointing toward the cupboards with the glasses.

Laguna chuckled and returned to his papers, seeming more to skim them then actually _read_ them.

I poured myself some water, and a thought occurred to me. "Hey, Laguna," I said.

"Hm?"

"How did you do in school?"

Laguna set his paper down and took off his glasses, turning in his chair to look at me. "What?" he asked, smiling a little at the oddness of my question. "Where did that come from?"

I shrugged and walked around the table to sit across from him. "Well, last night we talked about my Garden. You already know that I wasn't the most... diligent student," I explained, trying to find a polite word for how much of a slacker I was. "So what were you like? What was the President of Esthar's education like?" I took a drink of water and looked at him expectantly.

Laguna leaned back in his chair, thinking about his answer. _Probably thinking of a polite way to say that he was a slacker, too,_ I thought, and smiled.

Finally, he leaned forward and put his elbow on the table. "It actually wasn't what you would think," he told me. "For a while, I was actually a pretty good kid. You could even call me the 'teacher's pet'." He laughed a little at this.

I nearly spit out my water. "Are you serious?" I asked.

He nodded. "Yup. Crazy, right?"

"Mm-hm. I never would have guessed. So what happened?"

Laguna sighed. "Well, in high school I made friends with a guy named Genesis Rhapsodos. He was interesting, always quoting old poems and plays and such, and was all about down-with-society and all that."

I smirked. "I think I know where this is going."

He gave me a knowing smile, and continued. "As you can guess, he had a fondness for... narcotics. And the more I hung out with him, the more I got into it, and... well, my grades suffered, not to mention my family life. I ended up dropping out of college and joining the army. Nothing really appealed to me in academia, and I was pretty good in a gym and with a gun, so I figured, why not?"

"And then...?" I prodded.

Laguna blinked. "That's it."

"No, it's not!" I argued. "What happened to Genesis? What's your family like? What was your major in college? Did you meet any girls along the way? How'd you get to where you are now? What -"

Laguna laughed and held up his hands. "Whoa now, one question at a time."

I giggled and blushed. "Sorry," I murmured.

Laguna shrugged off my apology. "Let's stop talking about me. What about you? What brings you to my fine kitchen this evening?"

I rolled my eyes, but smiled at his corniness. "Had another weird dream," I told him.

"Again?" I nodded. "Hm, two nights in a row. Was it the same dream?"

I thought for a moment. "No," I answered honestly. "It was different. Same people though, mostly."

Laguna leaned forward, subtly, seemingly interested in what I was saying. I had a strange feeling then, a very specific one. It wasn't pride, like before; it was a sort of special feeling. I felt special, like Laguna only had ears for me, no matter how much work he had to do. I had a sense that if there was even a war going on outside between Esthar and the moon, he'd still be sitting here, talking about dreams with me.

"Well," I started, "you were in it."

He smiled. "I was, was I?"

I kicked his shin gently under the table. "Don't get a swelled head," I warned him.

"Alright, alright; go on," he ushered me.

"Well, like I said, you were there," I said, running through the dreams events in my mind. _I probably shouldn't mention me,_ I figured. _That would be a really awkward conversation._ "There was a woman in a red dress. Her name was Julia."

Laguna lost his smile and blinked, his face paling. "..Did you say Julia?" he asked quietly, and I had a feeling that even if I did answer him, he wouldn't have heard me; he was too wrapped up in his own thoughts.

"Does she mean something to you?" I asked. It was relatively normal for me to dream of Laguna - yes, I admit it, I have a massive crush on him - but to dream about someone _else_ who was real? Someone I'd never met before? Coincidence was only an excuse to an extent.

Laguna was quiet for a moment, staring at the table in thought, then blinked, as if my question had just then reached his ears. "She was just someone I used to know," he explained briefly, his voice reaching past me, as if his words wanted to seek someone, someone special. A spark of jealousy flared in me, a feeling I'd felt before only in my dream. _Is Julia more special to him than me?_ I thought, frowning.

"How strange that I'd dream of someone _you_ know!" I said, forcing a smile, trying to break through his haze.

"Knew," he corrected.

I was taken aback for a moment. "...Knew?" I repeated slowly. _But, that means..._

"She died a while back. Car crash. No one could have stopped it." He added this last thought not so much as a detail but as an explanation, an excuse, a realization. Surely he didn't blame himself for her death?

I reached across the table and gently put my hand over his. This, out of everything, seemed to grab his attention (perhaps it was the all-too-familiar electric shock). What was terrible was, I had no idea what to say! The action was just a reflex, and now that I had his attention I couldn't just sit there and stare at him (no matter how much I might want to)!

So I said the first thing that came to my mind. "You had feelings for her, didn't you?" I asked quietly, my tone sympathetic.

He looked away from my eyes, and I felt his fingers move slightly under mine. "When I was younger," he confirmed. "But then I met-... Raine." He smiled a little, though something was off about the look in his eyes. "Everything changed from there."

"How so?" I asked.

Laguna looked up at me through his dark lashes, and I pushed down a blush. "I think it's time for you to get back to bed," he told me, and I pouted. "You've had a big night; you need your rest."

I sighed lightly and brought my hand back to my lap, feeling like something was torn from me as I did. I stood up, every move heavy; my body, my soul didn't want to leave this. Even if I was just talking to Laguna, it made my heart swell like nothing else, and it was all I could do not to break down in tears at the knowledge that I would spend even a second away from him.

"Yeah," I replied, trying to keep my tone chipper, "I guess." I started to leave, but Laguna's voice stopped me. I swear my feet stopped at the very moment he inhaled to speak the words:

"Do you want me to walk you to your room again?"

If hearts could smile... "Sure," I said, smiling brightly at him. "That'd be great." I didn't realize until later that I'd said the exact same thing the last time he'd asked, and that was probably why he chuckled.

He answered a few of my earlier questions on the way back to Demi's room. His old friend Genesis disappeared a few months ago, but he'd cut off contact with him long before then. Apparently he'd had a girlfriend at some point and she'd cheated on him with Genesis; since then, they haven't talked. There hadn't been another girl in his life after that ("I had some understandable trust issues," Laguna admitted with a smile) until Julia. He changed topics almost immediately after her name was brought up. Instead, he told me that his major in college had been undecided at best. He'd never really felt a passion for anything in school, but had a huge regret about not taking Journalism when he had the chance. He said that probably would have been his major if he hadn't joined the army so early on.

I listened to him like it was my job. Everything that came out of his mouth was fascinating to me - not to mention the mouth itself, which I'd just so recently had an intimate acquaintance with, sort of. I thought, _he must think it's weird that I'm staring at him so intensely,_ so I tried to concentrate on the floor, the walls, anything but him. Of course it didn't work. His hand would brush mine occasionally, and there were so many times when I just wanted to stop him, step on his feet - for there would be no other way to be as tall as him - and kiss the life out of him. I had finally worked up the courage to do so when we reached the door to Demi's room.

"Well, here we are," Sir Obvious pointed out.

"Yep," I said shortly.

Silence.

I shuffled my feet, glancing away from his eyes. "Well, um..."

"Night?" Laguna offered.

I nodded, giving him a parting smile. "Night," I agreed.

I moved to the door, which he was partially blocking, expecting him to move out of my way; he didn't. I squeezed by him, trying not to touch him, because I knew that if I did, all my common sense would fly away and leave me a slave to impulse. I stepped into Demi's room, stopped, and turned around to see him still standing there, leaning against the door frame, his body slightly turned, as if he had half a mind to follow me inside.

"U-Uhm..." I tried, stepping forward. Laguna looked at me, simply looked at me, with an expression that I couldn't hope to read.

"Yeah?" His voice was quiet, low, and did he just lean forward? I couldn't tell in the darkness.

"I-I..." I want to kiss you. No, don't say that. That would be stupid. Just do it. No, wait. Um! "Never mind," I stammered, looking down and taking a step back. A scream of agony sounded in my mind, and I knew that it was the sound of any chance I had with him dying an awful death.

Laguna nodded and stood up straight. "See you in the morning," he said, and proceeded to walk down the hall, back in the direction he came.

I sighed, and my soul fled my body with that breath, following Laguna faithfully, going where I wished I could. I slowly made my way back into Demi's bed, trying not to wake her and succeeding. I figured I wouldn't be able to sleep for the rest of the night.

I was right.

* * *

_A/N: So sorry that took so long! I feel like nobody's really reading this story, though, so it's okay I guess. For those of you who are, thanks so much! I really appreciate it, and hope this story makes you happy =) Oh, and for those of you interested in my personal life, got back together with my ex Tanner. I hope it works out this time! Fourth time's the charm, right? Isn't that how it goes? __**(flout: not really.)**__ lol See you guys later!_


	8. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own Dissidia, FFVII, FFVII:CC, FFVIII, or ATLA.**

A/N: Not sure what I'll doo with this chapter. Vague ideas will hopefully bring me through. WIsh me luck! Got a big day tomorrow, so I'ma go to bed. I'm literally typing with my eyes closed, I'm so tied haha Nighty nite

**What Matters Is Now**

**Chapter Seven**

_Demi's POV_

Hikari snuck out again last night. She thinks I don't know, that I was asleep, but I wasn't. I heard her tiptoe out of my room at two in the morning, and sneak back in half an hour later. I wasn't sure why I was staying up to moniter her, to stare at the clock and time her. I figured out why soon enough, though.

I heard her footsteps before she even opened the door. But... was someone with her? Yes, there were two sets of footsteps. Then... Father?

_"Well, here we are."_

Yes, the voice was muffled through the door, but it was definately him. What was Hikari doing with my dad? And so late?

_"Yep."_

I suppressed a laugh. How like her, to completely freeze up around my dad.

There was a long silence, and I was about to get up and drag her back into the room myself when it was broken.

_"Well, um..."_

_"Night?"_

_"Night."_

There was a shuffle of tiny feet, which I assumed to be Hikari's, then the door creaked open, slowly. I blinked as the light hit my face, and kept my eyes mostly closed so as not to let on that I was listening.

Hikari stopped suddenly and turned, facing my dad. She took a step toward him. "U-Uhm..."

"Yeah?" Why did his voice sound so strange? It was lower than normal, just by a little - wait, he's leaning forward? Hold on!

"I-I... Nevermind," Hikari stammered after much hesitation, and stepped away from him.

Father straightened - so he _did_ lean forward! - and nodded to her, very business-like. _He's hiding something,_ I thought. He only puts on his President face when he wants to keep something to himself. "See you in the morning," he said shortly and walked away without another word.

Hikari sighed heavily as she shut the door, and climbed back into bed, obviously trying not to wake me. If only she knew...

She didn't sleep for the rest of the night. And neither did I.

* * *

Pretending to wake up is strange, and hard to do correctly. Luckily, I am trained in deception, and carried it out flawlessly.

It was also very helpful that Hikari was pretending to be asleep.

I got up and stretched, hardly surprised at how tense I was; I'd spent just under four hours holding the same position for fear of Hikari finding out I was awake. She probably felt the same. I turned to look at how she sprawled out on the mattress as soon as I'd stood, and smiled. Oh yeah, definately.

I slipped on my new SeeD uniform with a mixture of pride and conformity. It is a symbol of accomplishment and entrapment. I hereby have to carry out whatever mission I am assigned, quite similar to classwork, but a little more dangerous and important. I wondered what I would be doing, if anything immediately. Maybe I'd get a bit of a break before I had to start working. I doubted the Headmaster would allow that, but who knows?

As it turns out, Hikari had not mastered the art of deception yet, and let out a huge, overdramatic yawn to let me know she was 'waking up'. She sat up and stretched, pretending to wipe sleep from her eyes, and smiled brightly at me. "Morning!" she said cheerfully.

I smiled back, deciding not to mention anything about last night. If she wanted to talk about it, she'd let me know. "Morning."

She eyed me. "Already in uniform?" she asked. "Do we even have to go today?"

I blinked. "Of course. We may be SeeD now, but that doesn't mean we get special privalages."

"Sure it does!" Hikari bounced out bed and opened the window, blinding me with the sunrise. "Let's take the day off, have some fun! We can give Squall a call," she winked.

I rolled my eyes, but inside my heart fluttered at the thought of hearing his voice again. That's right, he promised he'd come back as soon as he could. "He said he'd come back," I told her. "We don't have to call."

"Aw, come on!" she whined. "I'm sure he'd _love_ to hear from you."

I sighed. "Fine, fine." I held out my hand and she fished out her phone, giving it to me quickly. I searched through her contacts and found Squall Leonhart, smiling like a little girl as I pressed the call button.

He answered just after the first ring. _"Hikari?"_ he asked.

"It's Demi, actually," I told him, my heart pounding. Why was I so nervous?

_"Oh, hey,"_ he said, the edge leaving his voice. _"I was hoping you'd call."_

I blushed furiously. "It was Hikari's idea," I said quickly, embarrassed.

_"I see..."_

Crap, I shouldn't have said that. "I was just wondering when I could see you again," I shot out, trying to save it while I still could.

I could practically feel him smile. _"I'm actually free today. Why don't I stop by?"_

I grinned from ear to ear, and Hikari let out a little squeal in front of me. "That'd be great," I told him.

_"See you soon, then."_

"Bye."

_"Bye."_

He didn't hang up, and neither did I. I didn't want to cut off his voice. Finally, Hikari grabbed her phone from me and shut it, sticking it back in her pocket with a knowing smile.

"He'll be here soon," I said, answering her unspoken question.

She squealed and poked my arm. "See? I told you it'd be a good idea to call him!"

I batted her hands away. "Yeah, whatever. I need to change before he gets here."

"You take your time!" she said. "I'm gonna get us some breakfast."

And before I even had time to worry about her being alone with my father, she was gone.

* * *

When I got to the kitchen, Hikari was alone. I hoped it had been that way for the whole fifteen minutes that I'd left her out in the open, and from the way her face wasn't burning red, I assumed it was so. I smiled, relieved, and sat down at the table. "So, what's for breakfast?"

She shrugged. "I found some waffles, but I don't know how to work your futuristic toaster."

I laughed and showed her how, and she let out a big "Oh!" when she realized how easy it was. She said she was stupid; I told her she wasn't. She smiled and took the compliment, but I could tell she didn't truly believe me. What was it going to take for her to see herself for what she really was? She seemed to have this idea that she was this dumb, overbearing klutz, and nothing I could say would change her mind.

I opened my mouth to say something to her about it when she gasped out loud and whirled around to face me. She slammed her palms on the table, eyes wide. "I have an idea!" she exclaimed.

"What is it?!" I asked, in the same breathless voice.

She pursed her lips at me, annoyed that I was mocking her, but continued. "How 'bout I call Zuko? Then, when Squall comes, it'll be like a double date!"

I raised my eyebrow, not quite sure if that was a good idea - Zuko didn't seem like the kind of person I could see Squall hanging out with - but how could I refuse? "Sure, why not?"

She clapped her hands and bounced on her toes. "I'm such a genius," she cooed as she pulled her phone from her pocket, flipped it open, and held down a button - _does she already have him on speed-dial?_ I thought.

"Hey! Zuko?" she asked, her voice even peppier than normal.

A pause. He must've said something funny, for she giggled.

"I know, I know. But hey, I was wondering if you wanted to hang out today? I'm trying to get my friend to do a double date." Another pause, and a huge smile lit up her face. "Great! Where? Um... You're gonna laugh. I'm sorta staying at the President's house. I know right? I love it." She laughed again. "Whatever, you narcissist. Just get your butt over here soon. See ya!"

With that, she hung up, practically giddy with excitement. "This is gonna be so fun!"

I smiled and nodded in agreement, but I couldn't shake the odd feeling that something bad was going to happen.

* * *

_Laguna's POV_

Why was I here again? Oh, who was I kidding? I knew exactly why I was here, I just didn't want to admit it to myself.

Hikari. But not _that_ Hikari... or was it?

This was all too confusing. _They're just dreams!_ I tried to tell myself, but I'm not so sure. Yeah, sometimes I dream of the past, but Hikari's hasn't been in my dreams for a long time. In fact, I don't think I've dreamt of her since I met her. At least, until now.

And now she's back? No, it can't be the same one. But, she acts just like her! Looks just like her! She could be Hikari reincarnate. Even the way she acts around me, and the electricity I used to feel... It's all the same. It's like the past is happening all over again...

_"... had another weird dream last night."_

I opened my eyes wide and edged closer to the doorframe. She'd already told me about her dream, but I feel like she left something out. I had the same dream: Trying to talk to Julia, finally working up the courage but getting a leg cramp and having to walk away, her coming to my table, seeing Hikari run up the stairs and away, going after her...

And the rest was history.

_"I figured. I heard you get up in the middle of the night. Went to get another drink of water?"_

A drink of water. Right. Not to see me. She was just thirsty.

_Hikari giggled nervously. "Yeah, I guess I'm just thirsy a lot lately. But anyway... I dreamed about Laguna again."_

_"Again? This is getting weird."_

_"I know, right? Anyway, so he had a sort of date with this woman named Julia-"_

Yes, that's right so far...

_"Julia Heartilly? Yeah, I remember him mentioning her sometimes. But how do _you_ know about her?"_

_"She sang Eyes On Me, right? But other than that, I don't know who she is. I had no idea Laguna had a relationship with her! But um... after that... he and I, like, went on a date, too, in Deling City."_

I knew it! She was hiding that from me. But why? Was she embarrassed?

_"And then... we sorta kissed-"_

_"Hikari, I don't wanna be mean, but... the next time you have one of these dreams, could you not tell me about it? I mean, I can tolerate you looking at my dad like he's a cinnamon roll, but I don't need to hear about your fantasies."_

_"But that's just it! They don't feel like dreams at all! They're just too real-"_

_"Hikari? Please. I'm asking nicely."_

_Silence. "Okay. Sorry for bringing it up."_

_"It's fine. So, you wanna get ready to see Zuko?"_

_Silence, again. "Oh my god! You're right! I look awful!"_

Footsteps pounding toward me, but I was too stunned to move. I knew she was coming, closer, closer... What should I do? Confront her? Run? ...Kiss her again?

They were too fast for me to make a decision. Hikari nearly barreled into me, stumbling back a step before looking up to see my face. "Sorry," she said meekly, her cheeks flushing to a deep red.

Just like she used to... Why hadn't I noticed it before? _Because it's not possible,_ the rational side of my brain shouted at me. So why wasn't I listening?

"Don't worry about it," I told her with a smile, and stepped aside to let them through.

_Whether it's her or not, there's nothing I can do. She's too young. I've already missed my chance. There's no way to change the past._

* * *

_Demi's POV_

Father was acting strange. Hikari bought his whole "Don't worry about it" smile completely, but I wasn't convinced. The way he'd looked at her when she stumbled into him... Something was wrong. I debated briefly whether or not to turn around and ask him about it - with Hikari safely out of earshot, of course - but at that moment, I heard a motor softly purring outside, and my heart skipped a beat.

_Squall._

Hikari had just enough time to glance into my wide eyes before I was bolting for the door. I could think of nothing else; coherent thought had become an impossibility. All that ran through my mind was _Squall. Squall. Squall._

I burst through the doors to find him just starting up the walkway, a beat up red rental car parked haphazardly in the driveway. It seemed he was just as eager to see me as I was to see him. And when he lifted his head, and his eyes met mine, I knew he felt the same as me. The traces of a breathless smile lit up his face, and we met each other midway between the drive and the door.

For a moment, we just looked at each other, drinking up the other's presence. Finally, when neither of us could stand it anymore, I threw myself into his arms, and he held me tight, kissing me so sweetly that I doubted this was all real. I would wake up in a few minutes to find that this perfection was shattered.

But it never happened. He pulled away to rest his forehead on mine, and breathed, "I missed you."

"I missed you, too," I said, not even a beat after he'd finished his sentence. The passion, the love... yes, the _love_ I felt for this man - and so suddenly! - was overwhelming. He swept me up into another kiss before I had another thought, and before I knew what I was doing, I was telling him I loved him past his lips, and he was returning my feelings.

My life had become so perfect in that one moment, and I was so swept away by it, that I had completely forgotten about Hikari, and the young man currently headed her way.

* * *

_Hikari's POV_

As I watched Squall and Demi fall in love, my heart swelled, and fell at the same time. I was so happy for her that a huge smile broke out on my face, but a sinking feeling had occured in my stomach. I couldn't help wishing that it were me and...

_Laguna._

I shook my head. Not Laguna. Of course not Laguna. That was just crazy talk.

_Not _this_ one. The younger one._

What, the one from my dreams? Sure, why not? It'd already happened in my weird, realistic dreams. But that's just what they were: dreams. Nothing more, and certainly nothing that would reflect onto reality. I shouldn't hope for the impossible; I'd just end up disappointed.

"Boo."

I jumped out of my skin at the voice behind me and whipped around, eyes wide and heart pounding. I let out a sigh of relief when I saw his face, but it did nothing to calm down my racing heart. "Jeez, Zuko, don't _do_ that!" I scolded him, putting a hand to my chest.

He smiled a crooked smile. "Sorry; couldn't help it." He cast a glance at Squall and Demi, who were still entangled in each other's arms, but were now whispering endearments to each other, kissing shortly every once in a while, smiling brightly. I grinned; I'd never seen Demi that happy before. _And it's all thanks to me,_ I thought hautily.

"Who are they?" he asked. "And do they realize we're watching?"

"They're friends, and no, I don't think they know."

Zuko chuckled and wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me close, making me blush. "Maybe we should leave them alone," he suggested.

A chill went up my spine, and I swallowed. Something in his voice put me on edge... but something in me liked the feeling. I smiled bashfully at him through my lashes and shook my head. "I promised Demi a double date," I reminded him.

He cast another glance at the new forever-couple. "Alright, but if they don't break apart in the next twenty seconds, I'm taking you for myself."

Face flushed red, I pressed close to him and turned my head away, so he couldn't see. Something about him was... not exactly dangerous, but risky, in a way. He made me feel flustered, borderline frightened, and my heart pounded whenever I was near him. I had no idea what to expect.

I liked that.

I wasn't sure why, but the adrenaline rush he gave me was really satisfying. In a life where everything is standard, this unpredictable guy was a breath of fresh air.

"Twenty seconds is up," Zuko said, and gathered me into his arms, tickling me in the process.

"Hold on!" I said between giggles. "I'll get them, just hold on!"

He bent down until his lips were at my ear. "Don't keep me waiting too long."

With that, he let me go, and I turned away quickly so he wouldn't see how red I was. "Hey guys!" I called to the lovebirds.

I at least got Demi's attention, for she turned her head to me. Squall frowned and put a hand to her cheek to turn her face back to him, whispered something to her that made her laugh, and kissed her again.

I tapped my foot impatiently. "You know, there's plenty of time for that when we get back."

Squall rolled his eyes and kissed Demi's forehead once before letting her go and taking her hand, nodding at me to say "We're coming, we're coming."

I sent him an exasperated smile and turned back to Zuko. Man, just _looking_ at him made me freak out! I tried to push it back and reached for his hand, but he moved it to put his arm around my waist again.

"So," Zuko started, "where to?"

Demi thought for a moment. "The mall? They have a theater there with some decent movies."

Squall shrugged. "Fine with me."

I smiled. "The mall it is, then."

* * *

_Random Person's POV_

This city was insane. I thought Deling was big, but _jeez!_ This place was huge! And everything was lit up, no matter what time it was. Deling always produced a little glow, so you could see it from your car if you were driving toward it, but Esthar? Damn, this city's lights could be seen from space!

I'd been walking around since... Had it been two days now? Or three? I didn't even keep track. It didn't matter how long it took to get there, I just had to get there before everybody else did. Man, General Dan'll sure be disappointed with me. Enh, you gives a damn? He usually is anyway.

I pulled out my tourist's map - I'd sunk so low in these past two or three days - and unfolded it, leaning against one of those weird tubular things on the side of the roads. I still wasn't quite sure what they did... No, better not find out now. Might end up getting hurt.

My eyes met those of a pretty woman walking her ankle-biter dog. I sent her a smile, and she blushed. She had an air of age around her, and I suspected she was older than me. Cougar much? But hey, didn't matter to me. Sex with her was just as good as any other.

_Maybe I _should_ get hurt, just so she can nurse me back to health..._ I pushed the thought away. There'd be time enough for that later. After I delivered my message, I planned on staying for a while. I couldn't very well report back to General Dan; he'd kill me with his own hands! Better lay low in enemy territory for a while, until all this crazyness blew over.

Let's see... I traced my finger along the map, drawing an imaginary line along the roads I'd have to take to get to my destination. Left here, right here... Jeez, this thing might as well say "Second star to the right, and straight on 'til morning!" I had no idea where I was going!

Enh, might as well just take the scenic route. I pushed myself back to my feet and prepared myself for the long trek to nowhere in particular.

And I stopped short, struck in the gut as I saw _her_.

She was stunningly gorgeous. Large blue eyes framed by thick, dark lashes lit up her pale face, high cheekbones complimented her dazzling smile and full, pale pink lips. Her perfect jaw gave way to a creamy neck held high, strong yet feminine shoulders, and a definately ample chest. A flat stomach, tight-fitting jeans against long legs, and a pair of the sexiest black heels I'd seen in a _very_ long time.

I wasn't sure just how many once-overs I gave her. I could practically feel those graceful fingers of hers stroking my face, her thin frame pressed against mine, her sweet voice...

_Hold on, stud,_ I reeled myself back in. _You don't even know what her voice sounds like. You don't even know who she is!_

_Oh, but I'd sure like to,_ my other half said, the half that still had my eyes trained on the mystery girl.

And I would. I told myself then and there that I'd do anything to get this girl. Whoever she was, I wanted her, and I wouldn't rest until she was mine.

My gaze hardened as I saw a guy about my age, clad in all black and some queer furry jacket, wrap his arm around her waist, and she leaned her head on his shoulder. Looks like this'll be a little tougher than I thought...

Something moved in my peripheral vision, and I raised an eyebrow as I saw two teens, one blonde girl and another dark-haired boy, practically race down the street perpedicular to me, the one that led to some garden of sorts. _Hm... wonder what they're doing,_ I thought sarcastically, and chuckled to myself. As if I didn't already know. Ah, teen hormones...


	9. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I do not own Dissidia, FFVII, FFVII:CC, FFVIII, or ATLA.**

A/N: Well, I hope you guys liked the last chapter! It wasn't my best, I'll admit. See, I had trouble with Demi's POV, so I decided to switch it up and add some other people in there. I was afraid of spoilers, but I think I got it to a nice sort of "get you on edge, but you don't know the whole story yet" type thing, so that's good. I'm pretty excited for this chapter, because from this point on, the story really starts to get going. Think of everything up to this point as just the Beginning. This is where things really start to get intense. Are you ready?

**What Matters Is Now**

**Chapter Eight**

_Hikari's POV_

The movie was really fun. Squall and Demi held hands the entire movie and whispered a little, but not obnoxiously. They would kiss every now and then, but mostly they were quiet and discreet.

Unlike me and Zuko.

It started with holding hands. I leaned my head on his shoulder, and after a while he turned to me and gave me a kiss. Just a nice, little kiss. I kissed him back, smiled, and we proceeded to watch the movie.

His arm ended up around my shoulders, and our kisses were more frequent as the movie went on. At first, it was just a peck. Then it grew into a kiss, sweet and soft, then his lips became more urgent, and he kissed me harder, turning from the screen to face me completely. My hands found his chest, his tongue slipped into my mouth as his hand pressed on my knee, traveled up...

I had to pull away eventually, for fear of the other people in the theater noticing us. He sat back in his seat relectantly, but the entire movie I was aware of his hand on my leg, his arm around my back. Sometimes his fingertips would run along my side, making me shiver. Sometimes he'd comment on the movie, purring the words into my ear, so no matter what he said it sounded like innuendo.

By the time the movie was over, I was ready to sneak off with him and do unspeakable things.

Which is exactly what we did.

While we walked back to the Presidential Palace, Zuko and I lagged behind Demi and Squall. While Squall's hand stayed clasped around Demi's, Zuko couldn't keep his hands to himself. I was acutely aware of him, of his every movement, and it was driving me crazy. I'd never felt like this before. It was almost a primal need to be near him, and nearer still.

We spotted a road across from us, leading to what looked like a garden. The only witnesses to our crime were a dark-haired man and a woman with a tiny poodle on a studded leash. With only one suggestion - "How about we let them have some alone time?" Zuko asked - we were making our way across the street, down the path, and into the shadow of trees and other foliage.

I would've thought the garden to be beautiful and breathtaking, but my mind was consumed with Zuko, and how good his hands felt on me, how I wanted him closer...

The path led deep into the forest, and Zuko finally pulled me off of it. Ten long steps and he pressed me against the trunk of a tall tree. The air was moist, the temperature dropping as darkness creeped into the sky. The sweat on my body cooled me, conflicting with my fever. Zuko's lips were on mine, demanding yet giving, his hands unbuttoning my blouse, not wasting any time. I grabbed fistfuls of his shirt and pulled him close, needing to feel his body against mine. As soon as my blouse was open he pulled off his shirt, and the sensation of his bare chest against mine made me breathless.

I sucked in lungfuls of air, but it seemed to do nothing. His lips traveled along my jaw, down my neck, nipping at my collarbone. His hands moved masterfully along my hips, to my legs, up my skirt...

My heart was pounding so hard it hurt; I could hardly breathe. No matter how incredible all of this felt, something about it felt wrong, bad. I opened my mouth to stop him, but it came out as a sigh. "Zuko..."

This only egged him on, and he slipped the straps of my bra off my shoulders.

I swallowed to clear my throat. "Zuko," I said, a little louder. "We should stop."

His movements slowed, then stilled. A flash of fear went through me, and I thought he was angry. But when his head lifted, I saw nothing but resigned acceptance. He shrugged. "Okay, whatever you want."

I blinked, completely unprepared for this reaction. Aren't guys supposed to get mad when you don't put out? "You're sure?" I asked.

He raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, it's cool. You're not ready; no worries."

Stunned, all I could say was, "Oh."

Zuko grinned and buttoned my blouse up again before pulling on his shirt. He offered me his hand. "Let's get you back home, 'kay?"

I nodded, and let him bring me back to the Palace.

Demi wasted no time letting me know how worried she was.

"Do you have any idea how _worried_ I was about you?" she yelled, hands outstretched at her sides while I sat in a chair in front of her. I felt like I was in the principal's office.

"A bit," I mumbled.

Demi ignored that. "I had no idea where you were! You could've been hurt as far as I knew! Or killed!"

"But I wasn't!" I said back. "I was with Zuko! I'm fine, see?"

Demi sighed and crossed her arms, blinking slowly. "Hikari... I'm not sure if you should put so much trust in Zuko."

Immediately I was on the defensive. "Why not?" I asked fiercely. "What's wrong with him?"

Demi noticed my sudden change in attitude, and flinched a little. "I just get a weird feeling from him. Like he's pretending."

"Well he's not. He _cares_ about me."

"Are you sure?" She'd meant it as an innocent question, that much was obvious, but I didn't treat it like one.

I clenched my teeth. "Of course I'm sure! Why wouldn't I be?" Then I turned on her. "Do you think I'd go off with some guy that didn't care about me? Do you think I'm a slut, is that it?"

"What? No, that's not it at all -"

"Save it, Demi!" I yelled, standing up. "You just have to be better than everyone else, right? You're so perfect, so good. Well I'm _sick_ of it! I'm sick of _you!_ Stop butting into my life and just let me _live!_"

With that, I stormed out of the room, instinctively going to her room. I didn't want to go, because that would further prove my dependency on her, and right then I didn't want anything to do with her, but I knew she wouldn't follow me and that was good enough.

I paced around her room, muttering to myself, and finally sat on her bed, fuming. My anger dissipated slowly, and when it did I realized how stupid I was being. Demi never butted into my life, she just cared about me. I should respect her feelings about Zuko and agree to be careful. She had a good way of sensing people's real intentions. Maybe there really was something odd about Zuko and I just wasn't catching it.

_Impossible,_ I told myself. _Nothing's wrong with him, Demi's just paranoid about me getting into a relationship. That's understandable, right? I'll just ease her fears and go on as normal._

It sounded like a good plan to me.

* * *

I knew I was dreaming before I opened my eyes.

I knew because I didn't remember going to sleep, so waking up again while I was still awake obviously meant I was dreaming. That, or something was seriously wrong with reality.

My eyes flitted open, and I felt the silky fabric of the lavendar dress I'd been wearing in my last Laguna dream. _Back here again?_ I thought as I sat up in the hotel bed and looked around at the hotel walls and hotel furniture. _You'd think these dreams would change scenery once in a while._

I stood and stretched my arms above my head, and immediately regretted it. I swayed, my head going foggy, and I stumbled...

...into the arms of the young Laguna of my dreams. My head leaned back onto his shoulder, his long hair tickled my bare neck, and I stared into his beautiful blue eyes, and wondered how I could have ever been attracted to anyone else, even Zuko. Once look at this man could last me a lifetime.

I swallowed. "Morning," I said meekly.

The corner of his mouth twitched in a smile, but it was gone quickly. "Hey," he greeted. "How are you feeling?"

I smiled in silent laughter - _how does it _look_ like I'm feeling, Laguna?_ - and I stood, bouncing on the balls of my feet lightly for good measure. "I'm great!" I said. "Why?"

He raised his eyebrow and sat on the edge of my bed, still unsmiling. "Well, you almost just collapsed, and you passed out last night. You've been out all day."

Did time keep going in this dream while I was awake? _Wow, this could be a really confusing train of thought,_ I thought, and began to ponder. If I was awake in reality, then I was asleep in dreamland. Did I dream about reality in dreamland? And then I dreamed about dreamland in reality. Was there a real answer to which was real? Reality or dreamland? Either one could easily be a dream.

I blinked, and shook my head to clear it. I'd think about this when I woke up. Or started dreaming again? Whichever. "All day?" I repeated. "Wow. Well, I feel fine now!" I tried another encouraging smile, but his face remained unchanged. "Are _you_ okay?"

He smirked halfheartedly and sighed, hanging his head. I sat next to him impulsively and put my hand on his back. "I was just... so worried about you. I... This is sort of embarrassing to admit, but I haven't left this room all day."

"Really?" I asked, surprised, and was glad his hair was blocking me from his view, because then I blushed like mad. Did he really care that much? This was definately a dream!

"Yeah, kinda sad, huh? But..."

I shook my head and leaned down to try and look at him. He turned his head to mine, and our foreheads almost touched. "It's not sad at all. It's really sweet. Romantic, in a way."

He smiled boyishly, bashfully, and reached his arm around my waist, hugging me close. I rested my head in the crook of his neck, and he said, "I'm just so glad you're okay. I thought... I thought it was _my_ fault, like I did something wrong..."

I sat up and looked him straight in the eye. "Of course it wasn't your fault! I guess I just... faint occassionally?" I finished stupidly, unable and unwilling to explain the whole this-is-a-dream thing to my dream.

He cracked a wide smile and shook his head, looking at me in wonder. A hand stroked my face, playing with my hair, and he said, with a twinge of laughter, "You are the craziest girl I've ever met."

I blinked. "I hope that's some sort of twisted compliment."

He laughed. "The highest one I've ever given," he assured me.

I blushed and glanced down at the floor, struck dumb and silent by his eyes, the way they looked at me, the way his fingers brushed my cheek.

"You know," he started, and I turned my gaze back to him, "that kiss last night got interrupted."

"Oh dear," I joked. "We'll have to fix that."

He grinned, ran his fingers through my hair, moving it away from my face, and brought his perfect lips to mine, kissing me sweetly.

Even faster than last night, the small spark from that simple contact erupted into a thunderstorm, and before I knew it he was overpowering me, his hand in my hair, kissing me hard. I wrapped my arms around his neck to keep from falling as he leaned me down. I felt the mattress at my back, Laguna's chest against mine, my legs somehow entwined in his. He kissed my neck, and I closed my eyes to see the colors of sensation against my lids. How I had ever thought anything could be better than this, I had no clue.

My breath grew ragged, and I couldn't stand it anymore. I twisted my leg around his and flipped so I was on top, covering his muscular body. His eyes, first surprised, turned dark, and he smirked, carressing my arms as our lips met again, furious and passionate. It became hard to tell whose limb was whose, but voices from behind the door soon solved that problem.

"Laguna! You coming out of there anytime soon?" Kiros.

Laguna groaned loudly, and I laughed quietly. "Don't answer them," I suggested. "Maybe they'll go away."

He smiled and ran his hands down the length of my waist. "Good plan," he mumbled against my mouth.

"Laguna! Orders!" Ward said, pounding on the door.

Another groan from Laguna, followed by a low chuckle as I moved my lips to his neck. He turned his head to the door. "What do you want?" he asked.

The childish part of me decided that this was quite a perfect time to play some mischievious games with the man before me. After all, what could he do to stop me?

* * *

_Ward's POV_

I honestly didn't care much about following orders. Normally when we were in Deling, we just did whatever we wanted to for a while until we got bored. Laguna was obviously having a good time with Hikari lately, but well, me and Kiros were starting to get pretty bored. Orders were a godsend at this point.

I stepped back and let Kiros take the figurative wheel. He pounded on the door where I had just had my fist. "Ward just said! Orders!"

I furrowed my brow. Something was going on in there... I put my hand on Kiros's shoulder, a silent request for him to quiet down, and he did. He pressed his ear to the door, listening.

_"Uh, okay!"_ Laguna said loudly, but much more quietly he said, apparently to someone else, _"Hey, hey, quit it! Mmm... No, seriously! Quit..."_ After that, the words got pretty fuzzy, if there were any at all.

Kiros gave me a look that would've had me cracking up on the floor if it had been any other situation. I was just as weirded out as he was. There were only two people that could possibly be in there with him, and one of them was playing the piano two floors down. That just left...

"Man, he's only known her for, what, two days?" Kiros asked.

I nodded. "We'd better stop this before it gets out of hand."

Kiros nodded, his expression serious. When I put on my business hat, it was go time.

* * *

Laguna eventually was forced to leave out giggly, kissy pit of passion, and slinked through the door while I fixed myself. Despite how bold I was to him, my heart was pounding in my chest, and my face turned eight different shades of red as I looked in the tiny rectangular wall mirror.

A timid part of me questioned: What would have happened if someone hadn't broken you two up? Would you have just kept going?

That was something to think about. I had no answer to that. Would I? I'd stopped Zuko back in the woods, and I'd known him for just about as long as I'd known this Laguna. Did the rules change with the person?

I shook my head. What was I thinking? _This_ Laguna? _This_ Laguna was a _dream!_ I couldn't let myself forget that. It was all a dream, definately. No doubt about it.

But why did it have to be?

The door opened and Laguna stepped through, looking troubled. "What's wrong?" I asked, hoping it wasn't something too awful. I'd already depressed myself enough as it was.

"Bad news," he said. "I've been called off my break. I have to go to an Estharian excavation site and check it out. I might be gone for a while."

My whole posture dropped with my frown. "Oh," I said. Figures, just when things start to begin...

He put his hands on my shoulders, and I looked back into his eyes. "I'll be back as soon as I can, okay?" he assured me. "Will you be alright?"

I waved my hand lazily. "I'll be fine," I promised. "I've got a place to stay." No need to tell him where, of course. Or, you know, what time period.

"Okay." He hugged me tight and kissed me again, kissed me until I was dizzy. I bid him farewell, and he made a slow journey out the door, every other step interrupted by another passionate kiss. When he was gone, I suddenly realized just how dizzy he'd made me, and staggered back to the bed, knowing what was happening even before my knees gave out from under me, and my head hit the mattress with a soft _thunk._

* * *

A/N: Two things to say:

1) The Laguna Dream Sequence was inspired by the song The Technicolor Phase by Owl City (mostly by the entire Almost Alice album, which I have just purchased and am currently obsessed with)

and

2) Favorite Line Ever: "When I put on my business hat, it was go time." ROFL

Hope you liked! Chapter Nine soon, I promise!


	10. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I do not own Dissidia, FFVII, FFVII:CC, FFVIII, or ATLA.**

A/N: Hey there! Hope you guys are liking so far! And reviewing! Reviews are luhve. I've been waiting forever for this chapter! Craziness is going to happen! Get yoself ready!

**What Matters Is Now**

**Chapter Nine**

_Hikari's POV_

I woke up with a pounding heart and a desperate need to go to the kitchen. I leapt up from bed, somehow not waking Demi in the process, and walked quickly down the halls. I reached the kitchen, but the lights weren't on. My spirit fell, and I sighed. Why had I expected to see him here? Did I really think he'd wait for me or something? Silly me, that's not how things worked.

I turned on the light, figuring I might as well just get some water while I was down here. I opened the cupboard to reach for a glass when a pounding alerted me to someone coming.

Sure enough, the footsteps revealed Laguna stopping suddenly in the doorway, clutching onto the wall as if he would've kept going had he not had a hold on something. His breath was heavy, his chest rising and falling visibly, and he stared directly at me, purpose in his eyes.

I blushed, struck by the intensity in his gaze. He'd never looked at me that way before; at least, not in reality. I swallowed and looked away. I needed to find a way to make this less awkward, before the stagnant air choked me to death.

I sent him a smile. "You so thirsty you had to run?" I asked.

He blinked, as if he didn't understand my question, then let out a breath and smiled. He laughed quietly, but I didn't believe it. "Yeah, I guess that's it."

"Then by all means," I said, and handed him my empty glass.

He took it and reached over me to grab another. I blushed, aware of his body behind me; I could practically feel the sparks of electricity passing from me to him.

"Here you go." He set the glass on the table next to my hand, and I wondered why he didn't just hand it to me himself. Did he not want to touch me? The thought sent my heart plummeting.

I sat at the table, and he sat across from me, the same as the nights before. Everything was typical; me, drinking my water, wishing I had something to talk about, and him, sitting across from me, so wonderful and so unattainable.

But for once, neither of us were really talking. We drank our water, smiled at each other halfheartedly when our eyes met, but all was silent.

Finally, I decided this wasn't going anywhere, and I stood up. Laguna stood up not even a second after I did, his chair making an awful sound against the floor in his haste.

I blinked at him in surprise, wondering where he was in such a hurry to go to. "I'm just gonna... go to bed now," I told him.

"I'll walk you," he offered instantly.

I was a little put off by how eager he seemed, but on the other hand, _he wanted to walk me to my room!!!!!!_ How could I refuse that? "Sure," I said, and he fell into step beside me.

The walk was completely silent, just like the kitchen. Completely awkward, like the kitchen. And, like the kitchen, I could feel the electricity jumping from me to him and back, pulling us closer, jolting me awake, until I was so aware of him that I was unaware of everything else.

By the time we reached Demi's door, my heart was fluttering, as if the static shocks were making it beat three times faster than normal. Laguna stood in front of me, that look in his eyes again, making it impossible for me to raise my eyes from the ground. "Thanks," I muttered, wanting to disappear into Demi's room and disappear into his room at the same time.

"No problem."

That seemed to be that, then. I moved to open the door.

"Hikari."

I turned back to him, and he put his hand on my shoulder. Just that simple act sent wave after wave of shock through my body, but it in no way prepared me for what was going to happen next.

Eyes wide, I lifted my head to look at him, and got once glimpse of his glittering blue eyes before he kissed me.

I had no clue what to do at first; I stood there, like an idiot, for at least two seconds, until I found my mind and kissed him back, gently leaning closer. My heart burst in my chest, and when he brought a hand to the small of my back and pulled me close, I felt like I might faint.

Fortunately he pulled away before that could happen. We stared into each other's eyes, and I could tell he wanted to kiss me again, just as much as I wanted to kiss him. But then I could see my thoughts reflected in his eyes as we both realized:

That could never happen again.

"I'd better go," I said.

"Yeah," he agreed quickly, stepping back.

I opened the door and shut it as soon as I entered the room, afraid that if I didn't get away from him fast enough, I'd never leave that spot. I turned and faced the door, listening for his footsteps, but heard nothing. I put my hand to the door, and knew he was there on the other side, his hand across from mine. There we were, so close.

Separated by a thick wall. And that's how it should be.

So why did it feel so wrong?

_Demi's POV_

Hikari went out again last night. I should be used to it. It was, what, the third time? Still, it wasn't so much that she was waking up in the middle of the night as it was who she was seeing in the middle of the night. I knew she was seeing Laguna. Obviously, since I'd heard them talking that night.

She was sleeping by the time I'd decided to talk things out with her. Strange that she was so tired so early, but I was a little relieved. Fighting came easily to me. Apologizing did not.

And even so, what did I really have to apologize for? All I did was tell her how I felt. And she told me… that she was sick of me. Sick of being here.

I won't lie; it hurt. A lot. But, of course, Squall was there for me.

When Hikari stormed off, he immediately took me in his arms. There was a hollow feeling in my chest, like someone had punched me there and my heart flew out of my back to splatter on the wall. I never thought that she harbored such feelings for me. Did she really feel like that? Was it just her anger talking, or actually her?

I didn't figure out that I was crying until Squall began rubbing my back. I buried my face into his shoulder, listening as he said, "Don't worry. She's just mad. She'll come back and apologize."

"But she shouldn't have to," I objected. "She shouldn't even be in this situation! I should have taken better care of her. I should have known that something was weird about him –"

"How could you have known?" Squall pulled me back to look at me, and wiped a tear from my cheek with his thumb. "Don't blame yourself. She's just trying to find her way."

"But it's the _wrong_ way! I have to help her _see_ that!"

"What can you do?" I didn't have an answer. "She has to find this out for herself. She's strong; she can handle him. If she sees something strange, I know she'll make the right decision."

I let out a sigh and hugged him tight, warm in his arms. "I just wish there was something I could say…"

"I know," he sympathized. "The most you can do is just be there for her. She needs you, even if she says she doesn't. She just needs to calm down and think."

I nodded, wanting to believe him. And I did. His voice was soothing, smooth, and I drank it up. I turned my head up to kiss him, feel his love for me instead of just hearing it.

He smiled and pressed his lips to mine, keeping me close, holding me like a precious doll. The safety I felt in his arms was like nothing else in the world. Kissing him was like bringing in my soul. As if it had run away a long time ago to him, and we were finally brought back together. I knew he felt the same way; I could feel it in his embrace.

"Are you going back?" I asked when I pulled back.

His eyebrows drew together for a moment, then he blinked in understanding. "I haven't really thought about it," he admitted. "I don't think I'm needed right now. Besides, I could use a vacation."

My heart leaped. "So you'll stay?"

He smiled. "For as long as I can."

I smiled brightly and hugged him until he couldn't breathe. It was all I could have hoped for. Even though I was going through this tough situation with Hikari, I knew I would have Squall beside me. And that alone would make it all bearable.

_Hikari's POV_

Demi heard me leave and come back, I know. I just hope to Hyne she doesn't know what happened just outside her door. I can still feel his lips on mine. Just thinking about it makes my heart do jumping jacks.

I can never, _ever_ allow that to happen again.

Sure, it's okay – maybe a little weird, but still okay – that I have dreams about an older man. Suggestive dreams, but still dreams. But to actually _kiss_ a very much older man _in real life_ is unacceptable. The fact that he's Demi's dad makes it ever more so.

I couldn't waste any more time. I knew Laguna knew that it was wrong. But he must've known it was wrong even before he did it. So his resolve isn't very strong, obviously. And I already know that it's hard to resist him when he _isn't_ throwing himself at me.

We needed to talk. If we didn't get this straight, I couldn't tell what was going to happen next.

I wiggled out of bed, Demi at my side, sleeping peacefully. I bent over to check and, sure enough, her eyes were closed, her breathing steady. I hadn't woken her.

Tiptoeing out of the bedroom, I weaved through hallways, left and right and upside down until I made it to the President's room.

It hit me then. _Oh Hyne, I kissed the President!_

I shook the thought out of my head. It didn't matter, because it was never going to happen again. I kept repeating it to myself, over and over. _Never again, never again, never again._

I knocked on the door, softly, so no one around would hear. I waited, and then it occurred to me that I might've knocked too softly, and Laguna hadn't even heard. I raised my hand to knock again when the door opened.

Laguna stood before me. Gray sweatpants were tied loosely around his waist, his long hair out of its ponytail and sliding down his bare shoulders and chest. His entire body moved, his muscles rippling smoothly, as his rough, battle-worn hand brushed a few locks away from his face, and he blinked sleepily at me with his bright blue eyes.

My heart began pounding out the beat for the Every Time We Touch Dance Remix.

A moment passed where we just looked at each other, and then suddenly Laguna really _saw_ me. He blinked, his eyes getting a little wider, and his mouth opened, but he said nothing.

I swallowed, trying not to look any lower than his face. "Hi," I said.

"Hi," he repeated back to me.

Silence ensued, but I refused to let it take hold of the situation, as it so often did with us. "Can I come in?"

He blinked again, trying to cover up the fact that his eyes had strayed from my face for a fraction of a second, and nodded, moving aside and opening the door wider to let me through.

Once inside, I caught my reflection in a small wall mirror. A sleeve of my oversized nightshirt had fallen down, exposing my shoulder and a good portion of my chest. Blushing furiously, I fixed it, bringing the collar tight around my neck.

Laguna cleared his throat. "So, what, um… makes you come here so early?"

I sighed, and turned to face him. "I don't think I really even have to say it."

He looked away.

"That can't happen again, Laguna," I told him. Impulsively, I wanted to step closer to him, to make sure he was taking me seriously, but I held myself back. Distance was good. Distance would be our makeshift door for now.

He didn't say anything, so I continued.

"It's completely wrong! You're Demi's dad, Esthar's President, and 30 years older than me! And I'm just… me," I finished stupidly, looking at the ground.

Laguna finally glanced up at me. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Confused, I said, "What?"

"What do you mean, you're just… you?" he asked, stepping closer to me. I took a tiny step back, knowing I should, but not wanting to.

"J-Just…" He stood so close, so gorgeous; I was scared. "Nothing. Just that, you should spend your time and do that kind of stuff with someone your own age, someone prettier and smarter –"

Laguna cut me off. "Don't ever say that," he scolded, his voice hard. He stepped forward once more, so close I had to turn my head up to look into his eyes. He put a hand to my cheek, and I nearly melted. "You're beautiful, Hikari," he said softly.

I closed my eyes, savoring his touch. I felt his other hand on my neck, the fabric moving underneath his palm. His hair tickled my face and his perfect lips brushed mine…

My eyes snapped open and I ducked underneath his arms, running to the other side of the room. "No!" I said. "No, no, no! That _cannot_ happen! I _told_ you! Dammit, Laguna…"

Laguna walked toward me, and I scurried along the wall, keeping my distance. He sighed, leaning his weight on one leg. "Hikari, you can't just avoid me."

"Yes, I can!" I yelled, trying to open a closet door.

Suddenly he was behind me. "What are you doing?"

I jumped and spun around, pressing my back against the desk behind me. Laguna regarded me with an eyebrow raised, and I swallowed. "Trying to lock myself in your closet," I answered meekly.

He cracked a smile. "Why?"

"So you can't come near me."

His face was hurt. "Do you really think I'd take advantage of you?" he asked, his voice soft with disbelief.

"No, no!" I said, putting my hands up in distress. The warmth from his chest radiated onto my hands, and my head spun. "It's just… I can't breathe when you're so close."

He blinked slowly, his face thoughtful. He said nothing, just watched me as he brought a hand up and tucked some hair behind my ear. Just that simple act left me completely breathless. And when he leaned forward and kissed my cheek, lingering, my chest nearly exploded.

He pulled back, looking at me, and suddenly a huge smile broke out on his face.

"Wh-What?" I stammered, and he burst out laughing. My mouth opened, then I figured it out. "You… You were just messing with me!"

In response, I got more laughter.

Outraged, but secretly enjoying the joke, I stomped up to him – for he'd stepped back while cracking up – and smacked his shoulder. "You're such a jerk!"

"Come on; it was funny!"

"No, it wasn't!" I said, punctuating every word with a fist on his chest.

"Hey!" He caught my wrists and held me at bay. "Calm down." His chuckling still invaded his voice and eyes.

"Not until you apologize!" I squirmed and struggled, trying to get out of his grip. We wrestled like this for a few moments until finally he pinned me to the wall we'd just been at, the desk at my hip.

"Let go!" I laughed, vainly struggling, but stopped as soon as our eyes met. I paused and viewed the situation as if I was watching it. My shirt had fallen again, shirtless Laguna had my wrists pinned helplessly at either side of my head, and our bodies were so close to touching it was almost painful.

Laguna noticed, too; the playfulness left his eyes and he looked at me like he had that night.

"This probably isn't very good," I pointed out, but my voice sounded soft and feeble even to me.

"Yeah," Laguna agreed, "probably not."

He let go of me, but made no move otherwise. I stood there, knowing I should leave right at that second, but I couldn't. Without thinking, I flung my arms around his neck and kissed him, pressing as close as I could. He wrapped his arms around me, crushing me against him and kissing me passionately. My back against the wall, my chest against Laguna's, I couldn't breathe at all but I couldn't care less.

Laguna smoothed his hands down my waist and picked me up, wrapping my legs around his waist. I clung to him, his tongue dancing with mine. He broke the kiss long enough to sweep the desk clear of the papers cluttered atop it, a vase smashing to the floor along with them, but neither of us paid it any mind. He set me on the desk and kissed me again, and I moaned at the feeling of him between my legs. His hands traveled under my nightshirt and cupped my breasts, and I sucked in a breath, leaning my head back so he could kiss my neck.

"Oh, Laguna," I breathed as he nipped at my earlobe, sending shivers down my spine.

A loud knock at the door made us freeze.

"_Laguna! Time to wake up!"_

We exchanged terrified glances, and then seemed to come out of a haze.

"Oh my god," I breathed, scooting backwards on the desk.

Laguna stepped back, gathering himself before he answered loudly, "Okay! Uh, don't come in yet!"

A pause. _"Why not?"_

"I'm, um…" Laguna tried to think quickly while I smoothed my shirt out and tried to calm my racing heart. "I'm naked!"

I gave him a look. "_What?_" I mouthed.

He looked at me exasperatedly. "It was the only thing I could think of!" he explained silently.

I rolled my eyes and motioned to the closet. "I can hide in there until they leave," I whispered, and Laguna nodded, opening it easily. A little dumbfounded, since it had seemed to be locked earlier, I stepped inside, and Laguna kept the door open by a hair.

He answered the door. "Okay, come on in."

Kiros and Ward stepped inside, both with confused faces. "…" Ward said.

"He means to say 'What was that all about?'" Kiros translated.

"Hm? Oh, nothing," Laguna covered, badly.

"What's that?" Kiros asked, pointing to the shattered vase.

Laguna shrugged. "Must've happened last night."

Ward raised his eyebrows. "…!"

"Did you have a girl here?" Kiros asked.

Laguna gave them an arrogant smile.

Ward grinned and slammed a hand against his back.

Kiros cracked a small smile. "It's been a while; good for you. Where is she?"

"She, uh, she left."

"Already? We just heard somebody else in here…"

I cupped my hands over my mouth in horror. They'd _heard_ me?

"Well, you guys scared her off! She freaked and left as soon as she heard you guys."

"Whatever," Kiros said, drawing the word out sarcastically.

They laughed and walked deeper into the room, and when I was sure they had turned the corner, I pushed the door open and ran silently out of the room, thankful that they left the door open. I leaned against the wall a moment outside and caught my breath. _Oh my god,_ I thought. _I just… Oh my god!_ One side of me was horrified that I let it get that far with Laguna, when I had gone in there with the intent that it would _never ever happen again ever_. But the other side was replaying the scene over and over again in my head, reliving the feelings and sensations he invoked in me, wishing Kiros and Ward had never knocked on that door…

And once again I was faced with a jolting thought. Just like my dream, Laguna and I were in a risqué position, and Kiros and Ward broke us out of it. But what if they hadn't? What if no one had come for hours? Would I have stopped him? Or would I still be in his room, on his bed, his perfectly naked body on top of me as he…

Whoa, whoa, whoa. Stop now. Naughty thoughts, naughty thoughts. I took a deep breath and let it out, forcing myself away from his room. Every step was like walking through cement. All I wanted to do was run back inside, tear him from whatever conversation he was in, throw him on his huge Presidential bed and ravage him.

I shook my head. _Stop it!_ I yelled at myself. _You have to stop thinking about him, or you'll never end this._ But I _so_ didn't want it to end.


	11. Chapter 10

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Dissidia, FFVII, FFVII:CC, FFVIII, or ATLA.**_

A/N: I have mixed feelings about this chapter. On the one hand, I'm really excited to write it because it's such a big thing in the story (there are so many lately haha) but on the other hand, Demi's POV is so hard to write! D= I really really hope I do this well. Hope you like!

**What Matters Is Now**

**Chapter Ten**

_Demi's POV_

I was awakened by the sound of my phone ringing.

I shot up, my mind instantly going to Squall. _Wait,_ I thought. _Squall's still here. Why would he be calling? _I smiled despite myself. _Squall's still here…_ I repeated dreamily.

Another ring. I snapped out of my thoughts and reached under my pillow, flipping it open in the process. "Hello?" I answered, my voice deep and gravely from sleep.

"SeeD Cadet Demi Loire, you are to go to Headmaster Durham's office at 0900 hours. Do you understand and accept?"

"I understand and accept," I repeated, all business. A click, and the call was finished.

With a sigh, I flopped back down on my bed, dropping my phone. On the one hand, I was about to go on my first SeeD mission ever, practically guaranteed. But on the other hand, I was so tired. And…

…Hikari wasn't in bed.

I shot back up and looked around. Not in the room, and no sounds coming from the bathroom. Where could she be?

I got up and tied a silk robe around my body, glancing absentmindedly at the clock. I did a double-take, and my heart pounced.

_8:36!_

I screamed in my head and ran straight for the bathroom, running my fingers through my hair to smooth it while I furiously brushed my teeth. I splashed water on my face, sprayed myself with BO-blocker and ran out the door.

Where I ran into Hikari. Quite literally.

She slammed into me and stumbled backward, as did I. I blinked and looked at her. She was a wreck, from what I could see. Her clothes were rumpled, her hair bedraggled, and her face red and lined with tears. "Hikari?" I asked, but ended up calling her name after for when she ran straight past me, wiping at her eyes and sniffling.

I made a step to run after her, but a voice behind me made me stop, made everything stop.

"Morning, Demi."

I turned, and there was my Knight, Squall, looking handsome in his SeeD uniform and combed hair. Looking at him, like always, took my breath away. It was still so hard to believe how quickly and easily he'd pierced through to my heart. He and Hikari were the only ones. I still hadn't let Father all the way in yet.

"Morning," I replied, giving him a quick kiss, which he lovingly returned. I stepped back and looked him up and down. "Why are you wearing your uniform?" For a moment, a fear shot through me that he was leaving.

He shrugged. "I got a call from your Garden. Said they wanted me to help out on a mission."

_A-hah!_ So it _was_ a mission. "I think I'm going on that mission," I told him.

He smiled. "Maybe we'll be working together."

"I hope so."

He gave me a quick once-over and raised an eyebrow. "So… are you going to wear _that_?"

I frowned and looked down at my robe. "Definitely not," I said, already turning back into my room. Squall chuckled and followed me, shutting the door behind him. I looked over my shoulder and raised an eyebrow, smiling slightly but confused. "What do you think you're doing?"

"What do you mean?"

I gestured to him after opening the wardrobe door. "You're a boy. This is my room. What are you doing in here?"

He rolled his eyes and sat down in my chair. "I'm not going to spy on you while you're changing," he sighed.

"Even so," I said, waving at him to get out. He sighed once more and got up, gave me a quick kiss and a squeeze, then left. I smiled and didn't let myself blush until he was gone.

Clean and crisp in my off-white SeeD uniform, I met Squall outside and jumped into the passenger seat of his beat-down rental car. The drive to the Garden was quick, and Squall's driving was perfect (unlike Laguna, who insisted on driving even though Grimoire did a fine job. At least _he_ didn't make me hold onto the edges of my seat when we made a turn). We walked through the halls to the elevator and made our way up to Headmaster Durham's office.

For some reason, I was nervous. I'd never before been nervous about anything SeeD related in my life! It had all come so easily to me; what need would I have for feeling nervous? But something felt strange about today. Something felt bad. Like this was the calm before the storm, the last sunny day before a hurricane. I reached out for Squall's hand and squeezed it, earning a happy yet puzzled look from him. He squeezed back and mouthed, "It'll be fine."

I wasn't sure why, but I didn't believe him.

The doors opened, and our hands dropped to our sides. Headmaster Durham was, strangely, a man and, not so strangely, there have been many a rumor about his having 'relations' with some of the students. Judging by his youth, looks, arrogance, and how girls dumber than a rock and clumsier than Hikari become SeeDs. On the one hand, I respected him for his position and good leadership, but on the other hand, he was simply a man-whore.

He flashed a dazzling smile at me, and I met his bright eyes, letting him know he didn't faze me. He took defeat gracefully and made no move that it bothered him.

"Glad you could make it, Demi, Mr. Leonhart," he said, nodding his head to both of us in turn, as we did him.

_It's not like I had a choice,_ I thought, but knew better than to say anything.

"So what's this mission about?" Squall asked, his arms crossed and his eyes hard. It was strange seeing him this way, since he was so open and sweet with me. But it was just his way of dealing with people he didn't know or didn't like. He kept it all business.

He blinked, obviously not used to someone so forward – and someone so blatantly not attracted to him – but recovered quickly and easily. "You are both knowledgeable about Sorceresses of course, and a SeeD's role in their lives."

I nodded, but didn't miss the way the Headmaster seemed to look at Squall intently as he said this. Squall's eyes narrowed infinitesimally, but he held the man's gaze. To break the tension, I said, "We are, Headmaster."

Durham's eyes snapped back to mine and seemed to remember in that moment that I was still in the room. He flashed another smile for a millisecond, then let it fall. "As I'm sure you are aware, the last Sorceress has yet to be located for five months now. This has not happened since after Adel. We must locate the Sorceress at all costs."

"So you're sending us to…?" Squall said. His voice sounded strained. I gave him a look, but he didn't notice.

"Deling City," the Headmaster responded, facing away from us, in front of his desk. "The Sorceress's hometown. She has also been known to reside in Timber for lengths of time, but Deling is our best bet." He turned toward us, his expression serious. It surprised me; I hadn't seen that look on his face before. "General Caraway of the Galbadian Army will prove useful in your investigation. And I hear, Mr. Leonhart, that you have traveled to Deling on more than one occasion."

"I have," Squall answered, but it was automatic. His voice sounded hollow, robotic, and I couldn't figure out why. Had something happened there that he hadn't told me? I wouldn't be surprised; I didn't know much about his past at all.

"Then you know your way around. That will save time, and ensure both you and Demi's safety. Deling is a dangerous place," he said. "You never know what could happen to you."

Something in his voice made me tense. Did he know something we didn't? From the way he kept staring at Squall, I figured as much.

The meeting concluded and we were sent off to Deling in a private airship, a small, sleek, silver contraption. Squall said nothing, and I didn't try to start a conversation. I knew he wasn't ready to talk. Whatever Durham had said had really gotten him worked up, and I knew better than to antagonize him.

The airship landed and we entered Deling City. It was night, but all the buildings were lit. None of the stars were visible; all the neon lights blocked them out, covering the dark sky with a fluorescent haze. We passed by a hotel, many buses, a large road with an Arc-de-Triomphe replica, and finally made it to a large mansion. A man stood in front of the gate, but at the sight of Squall moved in front of the walkway.

He held up a hand, fingers splayed. "I'm sorry, Mr. Leonhart, but General Caraway is out of town. You may return if you wish."

Squall nodded his thanks and continued walking down the sidewalk.

I blinked, looking back and forth between the two until I started after Squall at a brisk pace. "What are you doing?" I asked. "Why don't you press harder? Tell him… Tell him Caraway sent us –"

"That wouldn't work," Squall interrupted. "He'd ask what our business is, and ask for some sort of password or something. Caraway isn't that stupid, and neither are his employees."

"Well then, we'll break in!" I suggested. "I mean, we can't just walk away!" I wasn't sure what had come over me. I wasn't itching for a fight or anything; I was just so confused. We were _SeeDs_; we didn't take no for an answer! So why was Squall being such a pushover? "Does this have anything to do with Durham?"

Squall didn't answer.

My suspicion was raised. "What was he talking about? Why does all this Sorceress stuff get you so –"

Squall stopped walking and turned to me, his eyes burning. "Drop it," he commanded.

Normally, I would never let someone, even Squall, talk to me like that. I would have snapped back with some retort and stormed off when I'd finished putting him in his place. But something in his eyes made me halt for a moment, long enough for him to turn back around and keep walking.

He wasn't just angry. He was sad. And scared.

But sad about what? Scared of what? I couldn't ask, I knew. But how else to find out?

I sighed and fell into step beside him. "Well, Caraway's house is out. How about we just wander around the city; try and find clues in the local places?"

Squall shrugged, accepting.

He led me this way and that, all over the place. I wasn't sure if he was even paying attention to where he was going, or if he was just wandering and I following mindlessly. We stopped in a pub, some stores, always asking vague questions, catching certain words that people used, regarding their body language, analyzing the subtle signals people would unconsciously do to tell us what we wanted to know.

We ended up with nothing.

I heaved a silent sigh and leaned against the wall of a nearby building. Squall stopped walking, and I was surprised he'd even noticed I'd halted; he'd spent the entire night staring at the ground.

I sucked in a breath and asked, "Squall, will you please tell me what's wrong?"

"No."

I jerked back, hurt. It wasn't so much that he didn't want to tell me; I mean, I understood that he had some things he wanted to keep to himself for now. What really hurt me was…

That was the same tone of voice he'd used for Headmaster Durham. That cold, business-like, hard venom, reserved for people who had no place in his heart. For those he wanted to keep out. Or… drive away.

I said the only thing I could, sounding angry even though I was coming close to tearing up. "_Why?_"

He finally looked at me, his eyes narrowed and unwelcoming. He didn't answer for a moment, simply staring at me with his lion's eyes, as if to scare me off. When it didn't work, he looked away again and said, "It's nothing. Stop worrying."

I clenched my teeth. He wasn't getting off that easily. "I'm not worrying," I spat.

He glared at me. "Then stop _asking_."

I inhaled to bark a comeback at him, but the breath was never used for that. Instead, it was knocked out of my lungs as something hard and metal struck me in the back. I fell to the cement ground with a thud and heard a battle cry and footsteps as my attacker turned for Squall.

I snapped my head up, unable to move the rest of my body yet, and saw a man wearing a black club jacket and tattered jeans coming at Squall with a crowbar. I winced as I saw it; _that_ was what had hit me? Damn.

Squall knocked him back, but the man wasn't easily bested. He stumbled but recovered quickly, running at him again and again every time he got knocked down.

I stood shakily, still stunned by the blow, and forced myself to forget my anger toward Squall long enough to help him.

The man saw me coming. With one fluid spin, he slammed the crowbar into my stomach, pushing me back.

I saw stars. My breath flew back into the atmosphere and my eyes hazed over. I wasn't used to being hit that hard, especially by someone with a motive. An anti-SeeD vigilante? It would make sense.

Through the fog, I saw him coming toward me. I heard Squall yell and start running, heard the swing of the crowbar through the air –

And felt a warmth grow in me that I had never felt before. My every nerve was on fire, my skin tingling with goose bumps. It built in my toes, ran through my body, into my fingers. I splayed them in front of me, throwing out my arms on instinct, and gasped at what happened.

Fire shot toward the man, dousing him in flames. He screamed and brushed at them frantically, dropping his crowbar to the ground. Without luck, he ran off yelling in pain, tripping over himself in his haste to get away.

I paid him no attention. I hardly paid anything any attention. All I could do was look at my hands, focus on them. They looked so… foreign. Like they were someone else's hands attached to my wrists and arms, not my own.

I was vaguely aware of Squall trying to talk to me, saying my name. I didn't listen, couldn't listen. My mind had shut down. I wasn't even thinking about my hands, just looking at them. How could they shoot fire? Summon fire? Whatever it was they'd just done?

This was impossible. No one could use magic at will! And I'd never used a Draw Point; I found them to be the cheater's way of winning a battle. So how could…

_Sorceress_. The word hit me hard. For a moment, I thought I was just subconsciously reviewing the mission's objective, but then I understood.

"I'm a… Sorceress?" I asked to no one, though Squall was kneeling next to me – I hadn't even realized I'd sat down. "_The_ Sorceress?"

Squall was shaking his head minutely, a disbelieving look on his face. "It's not possible," he whispered, looking at me, but his eyes were miles away.

I moved my head to look at him, and his expression was unreadable. "But… the Sorceress is still alive," I said. "Did she pass her powers to me?" Without an answer, I continued, "Why?"

"She didn't pass her powers to you," Squall said. "She didn't even know you existed."

"Then how…?" I stopped. "How do you know?"

Squall set his jaw and looked away again. "I'll tell you later."

I snapped back into reality. I stood up quickly and my head spun, but I ignored it. "No!" I yelled, glaring at him with wide eyes. "We're going to talk about this _now!_"

Squall stood and looked me square in the eyes, his expression softer now but still closed to me. "Demi, you're being irrational," he said, grabbing my shoulders.

"Shut up!" I yelled, struggling against him.

He held me in place and continued as if he hadn't heard me. "You've just seen something crazy, and you're not thinking straight. We need to get you back home, okay? We're going home."

_Home._ Home sounded good. Hikari was at home. Hikari would understand me, I knew she would. But wait, she and I were fighting. And I couldn't talk to Father; he and I could never relate to one another.

Taking advantage of my silence, Squall led me along the sidewalk, his hands still firmly on my upper arms. "Don't worry about Hikari," he said, guessing my fears correctly. "She'll be calm by now. She'll help you once we tell her what happened."

"But I don't want her to worry," I muttered halfheartedly. I knew that wasn't true. Selfishly, I wanted her to worry about me. No one had ever really worried about me before. There was no reason; I could always take care of myself. I was never caught off guard. That night, that changed. So many things did.


	12. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I do not own Dissidia, FFVII, FFVII:CC, FFVIII, or ATLA.**

A/N: I hope you guys liked the last chapter! Sorry for making Squall sort of a jerk =/ lol Watching The Wedding Date and totally in the mood for love, which sucks for this chapter. Not very lovey dovey, for a change. Hope you still like it!

**What Matters Is Now**

**Chapter Eleven**

_Hikari's POV_

I wasn't sure why I'd started crying in the first place. There was no reason to.

Maybe it was the thought that I had to give Laguna up. Both of them. Ever since I'd been having these dreams, real-life Laguna had been… unpredictable. Attracted to me in a way that he definitely shouldn't be. There was a strange tension whenever I was in a room with him, as if no matter how far away from each other we were, there was some force trying to bring us together.

It would be hard letting that go.

And I didn't even have any idea how to let go of dream Laguna! How do I stop dreaming? Is it possible? Maybe if I tried meditating or something before bed, try to get myself into some deep sleep mode so I didn't dream. That _might_ work. Yeah, I'd try that tonight. Genius.

I took a deep breath and stopped, looking around for a room that I could cry in. I needed to let it all out, just get rid of all my sadness so I could move on. I hadn't seen this part of the Palace before. _I think this is where the help stays,_ I thought.

Ah! An open door. Well, cracked, but still open. I pushed through, sniffling and wiping my eyes, but stumbled to a stop when I saw someone inside, standing by the window. Strangely, it was closed, and I couldn't see who it was. It didn't matter.

"Oh, sorry," I said, turning and hiding my face. I couldn't let anyone see me like this. "I didn't know anyone was in here." I walked out the door.

"It's alright," I heard. The voice was deep, masculine, and monotonic. _He sounded like a younger Grimoire,_ I thought, remembering the chauffer that drove me and Demi to and fro.

I found a nearby living room and flopped down on its couch, holding my head in my hands. Hopefully, that guy wouldn't come to investigate and see me cry my eyes out.

I sat there for a long while without thinking, just crying until I couldn't anymore. I was a silent crier, not an ugly crier, so no one came in to check on what was going on. I was all alone, and that was how I wanted it. How I needed it.

The thought came to me suddenly, and I knew I had to do it. I had to end things with Laguna, permanently. I had to talk to him again and actually stop all this. For good.

I took a deep breath, stood up, knees locked, and made my way to the President's room. After the long trek there, I poked my head in and saw that the room was empty.

I set my lips in a frustrated pout and stomped my foot. _Well, if he's not here,_ I thought,_ then where else could he be?_

Suddenly struck with an idea, I crept into his room and scanned his walls, desks (trying to keep away from the one that my rear end had become very familiar with), anything that could have a schedule on it. Finding nothing, I was about to leave and give up when I saw his futuristic desktop sitting near a window.

"Hm…" I stepped over to it and turned on the monitor. _Maybe there's something here…_ I double-clicked his calendar, all the while thinking that he most definitely wasn't the kind of guy to keep a calendar, at least not an up-to-date one.

I was pleasantly surprised. I found out he was at the central City Council for a meeting, and it wouldn't end for another hour. Perfect.

I went straight for the garage, ringing the bell on my way for Grimoire, as I had seen Demi do many times. At the thought of her name, I felt a pang of guilt. I had said those awful things to her, things I didn't even mean! I would have to apologize the second I saw her next.

I waited until the garage door opened again, but Grimoire wasn't the man who stepped out of it. Instead, it was a much younger man, probably early twenties, in a black suit with a white undershirt. Black hair framed his pale, angular face, and black lashes framed his striking red eyes, the only thing about him that reminded me of Grimoire.

I blinked, struck by how handsome he was but at the same time surprised to see him here, whoever he was. "Who are you?" I asked.

His eyes met mine. "Vincent Valentine, Grimoire's son," he answered, his voice deep, dark velvet. A deep voice I'd heard before…

"Are you that guy that was in that room before?" I asked, blushing. How embarrassing!

He nodded, and my blush deepened.

"Oh. Sorry about that."

"Don't worry about it."

In an effort to avoid an awkward silence, I opened the passenger door, a stupid place to sit in a limo when you're being chauffeured. "So, you're the new driver?"

Vincent nodded and slid into the driver's seat as I shut the door next to me. "My father is retiring, so I'm taking his job."

"Oh, well, tell him I said, um…" Damn, what do you say to someone who's retiring? Good job? That didn't sound right…

"Congratulations?" Vincent offered, backing out of the driveway. "Job well done?"

I waved my hand. "Yeah, any of those. I don't know. The point is, I just want him to know that we all appreciated him and his work."

"So, congratulations, and we'll miss you," Vincent tried.

I smiled. "That'll be wonderful. Thanks."

Vincent nodded and returned his eyes to the road. "So where do you want me to take you?"

"The central City Council, please," I told him.

"Alright."

The drive was mostly silent. Vincent obviously wasn't much of a talker, and I really had nothing to talk about anyway. I was mostly prepping myself for the upcoming encounter, much like someone would prepare for an interview. I would say, "Laguna, what happened this morning can never happen again. I'm serious this time. No kissing, no late night flirting, no more talking about dreams. This is the end. You're Demi's dad, much older than me, and the President of Esthar. 'Us' can't work, so I'm ending it now before it begins." Good. That's exactly what I'll say.

We arrived there after what seemed like hours of driving, the seconds getting pounded out by the beating of my heart. I sent a weak smile to Vincent, told him I'd be back soon, and left the car. I took a deep breath, took a look at the building looming before me, and stepped inside.

The air conditioning assaulted me immediately, and I rubbed my bare arms subconsciously while I looked around the lobby. A receptionist sat at a desk at the wall in front of me while two hallways led off in either direction. I swallowed and took the few steps up to the desk.

The receptionist looked up at me from her computer screen. "Can I help you?" she asked in an open voice.

"Um, I'm looking for La- President Loire," I said, quickly correcting myself. I couldn't call him Laguna in public; that'd be too weird.

She blinked, and I imagined how odd it must look for some random teenager to request to see the President of an entire country. Once again, I felt a burst of specialness well up inside me, and quickly quelled it. I couldn't let myself feel that way. I couldn't let myself depend on Laguna to make me feel special; if I did that, I'd never let him go. _Let him go._ The words echoed in my head, and my heart ached.

"He's in a meeting right now," she said, checking the clock on her computer. "They should be breaking right about now, though. What relation are you to him?"

"I'm, um… Thank you!" I exclaimed, tearing out of the lobby before she could stop me. I knew she wouldn't let me see him no matter what, and I had to talk to him _now_, before I convinced myself that this could wait until later.

I veered left, storming down the hallway as fast as my feet would carry me. The receptionist apparently thought I was dangerous enough to call security, and I could hear them pounding down the halls after me. I made a face; it wasn't supposed to be like _this_!

I saw Laguna a moment before I crashed into him. My face was in his chest, my hands grabbing at his shoulders before I stumbled back, rubbing my forehead and looking up at him. I was so surprised to see him that it took a full two seconds for his face to register in my brain. "Laguna!" I exclaimed when I recognized him, gripping his hands in mine. I heard the security guards halt behind me, waiting for Laguna to tell them to take me away.

He looked from me to the guards, back and forth, finally turned completely to me, and asked, "What did you do?"

I would've laughed out loud if I wasn't so stressed out. "Nothing! I just need to talk to you and they think I'm crazy!"

Laguna rolled his eyes and relaxed his frame, nodding to the guards and telling them, "It's fine." They accepted it and left.

I let my shoulders drop and breathed, letting my lungs fill and empty three times before looking into Laguna's eyes again. I was pulled into the ocean blue, and felt my courage dissipate, shrivel up and die, fall into his eyes and swim away. My mouth hung open with words that I couldn't speak.

Laguna put a hand on my shoulder and led me into a nearby room, shutting the door behind him. It was small, almost cramped, but I supposed I would always feel cramped when I was near him. Like no space was large enough to keep me as far away from him as I needed to be, was supposed to be.

"So, what did you need to talk to me about?" he asked, standing at a place where I couldn't decide if it was too close or too far away. To be safe, I took a step back.

"Um…" What had I planned on saying? Damn, I couldn't remember! "Um…"

Laguna gave me a small smile and came toward me, wrapping a warm hand around mine. I wasn't unaware of the way his fingers twined through mine, or how his thumb brushed my palm. There was something incredibly sensual about that simple touch, soft like a butterfly's kiss, and for a moment I couldn't breathe.

And then I remembered. I stepped back, tearing my hand away from him, and spat, "Laguna, what happened this morning can never happen again." I paused for a half a second, long enough to see the look in his eyes. His smile was fading, and his business face was appearing. "I'm serious this time," I continued diligently. "No kissing, no late night flirting, no more talking about dreams. This is the end." _This is the end. _Tears welled up in my eyes, and I blinked them away. "You're Demi's dad, much older than me, and the President of Esthar. 'Us' can't work, so I'm ending it now before it begins."

The silence after I stopped was deafening. I hated it so much that I kept talking, without even knowing the words to say. "I just can't stand to be around you," I said. "No, wait, that didn't come out right. Um, I mean… Just… Ugh, I can't say anything right…"

"Hikari."

I shut my mouth and lifted my head, meeting Laguna's eyes. I wouldn't look away, no matter how painful it was to see him look at me that way, like I was one of the City Council men he'd be addressing once he was through with me.

He leaned his weight on his right leg, his hands resting lazily on his hips, and he looked down at the floor before continuing. "You're absolutely right. I was out of line, and it won't happen again."

For some reason, I'd expected him to fight me about this. I _wanted_ him to fight for me. Was I that meaningless to him? That, when I asked him to stop, he would just say 'okay?'

"Oh," I muttered in response. "Well… great, then. That's all cleared up now."

Laguna nodded, glancing at the analog clock on the wall. "I'd better be going," he said, his normally light voice low and even. "The meeting will start again soon."

I blinked, trying not to cry. Each word he said in that horrible, unfeeling tone… It was like they were stabbing me straight in the heart, leaving me bleeding and open. And he was turning away. "Yeah," I said. "Yeah, yeah. Okay, um… Vincent drove me, so I'll just –"

"Vincent?" Laguna asked absentmindedly.

"Oh, Grimoire retired."

"Right. Vincent's his son, isn't he?"

"Yup."

"Hm."

I blinked and wrung my hands nervously. "Well… I'll just go then."

Laguna moved out of the way of the door and opened it behind him to let me through. I passed him slowly, taking in a deep breath. The scent of him crashed down on me, and I was reminded of the SeeD dance, standing on his feet, feeling like a child and a woman at the same time. I breathed in again, memorizing it. Mint, fabric softener, sandalwood, and sea mist.

And then I left, unable to stand it anymore. I had two choices: either run back inside and kiss him until he never thought of being away from me ever again, or do the right thing. What else could I do? I wouldn't be selfish, not anymore.

My lips moved, but no sound came out. "Goodbye," I said silently, and exited the building.

Vincent was waiting by the door of the limo when I emerged. He stood up straight when he saw me, but I waved my hand in a way to let him know that I didn't want to talk.

Nonetheless, he had to do his job. "Shouldn't we wait for the President?"

I didn't want to but, again, what choice did I have? "Sure," I said, and walked back to the curb, sitting down and rested my forehead in my hands, staring at the pavement.

"Something wrong?" Vincent asked, sitting down next to me, but keeping a respectable distance between us.

"Yes."

"Do you want to –"

"No."

"Okay."

For a long while, the two of us sat in silence. I contemplated crying, but decided not to. I'd wait until we all returned to the Presidential Palace for that.

In the back of my mind, however, there was a shadow of happiness. I was glad that Vincent didn't push the issue, and thankful. I almost thanked him, but I didn't. It was dangerous right then for me to say anything. My throat might not work properly.

After what seemed like hours, Laguna finally came out, exchanging pleasantries with fellow men, most of them older and in better attire than he. I hadn't noticed before; he wore khaki slacks and a blue button-down shirt with lighter pinstripes and an indigo tie.

I didn't look at him, only said, "Vincent and I waited for you," and started toward the car. I didn't hear if he replied or not.

The drive home was excruciatingly awkward, mostly due to the fact that Laguna and I both vouched to sit in the back, where the driven were supposed to sit. He was right across from me, and I had to pull in my feet until my heels touched the back so our toes wouldn't touch. I pretended to look out the window to my left, but all the while my peripheral vision was trained on him. Was he looking at me? But every time I checked, he was staring out the opposite window. Apparently, the corner of my eye was playing tricks on me. Or maybe it was my hopeful imagination…

_Stop._ It was hard, but I knew it would get easier when we got back. I could apologize to Demi, and sweep her into a conversation about who-knows-what (cows maybe?) and then go to the Garden and request a few missions to keep myself busy. _Assuming I don't get myself killed_, I reminded myself.

Finally, we reached the Presidential Palace. I left quickly, ignoring Laguna to the best of my ability, and the second I opened the door I was assaulted by rage.

"I'm _fine_, Squall! Will you stop worrying and get back on subject?"

"You're _not_ fine. We need to get you to a hospital."

I recognized the sound of Demi's laughter and followed it down the halls. It was humorless and sarcastic. "A _hospital_? Do you really think I can get any help from a _hospital_? What would _they_ know?"

"Well, what else do you want me to do?"

"I just _said_! Stop worrying and tell me what the hell is going on!"

I found them in the living room, tentatively poking my head past the wall to see what they were doing. Demi stood on one side of the coffee table, Squall on the other. Demi's hands were fists.

"De–" I started.

Demi whipped around to see me, fury clouding her eyes. And then… what happened next was hard to believe.

Demi's fist closest to me sparked and, as if she didn't control it, her arm shot out toward me and blasted a bolt of lightning straight at my chest. I hardly had time to scream, but somehow Demi cried "_No_!" and the bright white-yellow light scattered into nothing mere milliseconds before it hit me.

There was a moment of silence. Squall and I stared at Demi, me with wide eyes, and him with fearful disbelief. And Demi stared at me, at her hand, panting hard. Her eyes looked moist, as if she'd been crying, or was about to.

Demi let her arm fall and her eyes wandered to the ground. She clenched her teeth, shut her eyes, and screamed with all her breath, "_WHAT'S GOING ON?_"

She deflated. Her body simply collapsed, and she fell backwards onto the couch. Her face was in her hands and she was sobbing uncontrollably, gasping for breath beneath her tears. In moments, Squall was by her side, holding her close and stroking her hair.

"What's going on?" Demi whispered, over and over, eyes wide and frightened as she cried. "What's going on? What's going on?"

Squall shushed her gently, kissing the top of her head. "I'm so sorry," he said quietly. "I'll tell you everything, I promise. But not now. Rest up, and calm down. Then I'll tell you, I promise."

Demi seemed to not hear him, only repeated her question like a crazy person. I felt a hand on my shoulder, and turned slightly to see Laguna. He regarded Demi with sympathy and leashed distress.

"We should leave them," he suggested, and I nodded. She didn't need me then. When she felt ready, she'd come to me. And I'd be there. I didn't know what was going on any more than she did, but I'd help her as much as I could. That's what friends did, and if I was going to redeem myself for the awful things I'd said to her, I would have to be the best friend I could be.

Laguna wrapped his arm around my shoulder and led me away, down the hall. I leaned into him, holding his hand in mine, and didn't care about what we'd agreed on. It didn't matter then. I needed something to hold on to, just like Demi did. And for now, Laguna would have to do.

Laguna stayed with me that night until I fell asleep. We talked for at least two hours, me in bed and him sitting on the bench-like windowsill, just talking about anything that came to mind. Eventually I fell asleep, and I was so exhausted that I didn't dream.


	13. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: I do not own Dissidia, FFVII, FFVII:CC, FFVIII, or ATLA.**

A/N: I finally got out of my writer's block in this story! =D And now I'm obsessed lol This is actually going pretty fast! I'm thinking this'll go for about twenty chapters all together or so, maybe a little longer than that, but not by much. So, little insight into my life: I'm really pissed right now. I did something wrong, and my mom took my laptop, PS3 (though I stole it back XD) and PS2, and my privileges out, and she's raving about how she can't trust me anymore, blah blah blah. She'll get over it in, like, a week. But I'm still really mad, because I stole back my laptop, but she noticed, so I had to give it back and now it's tucked tight in her safe along with two of our PS2 controllers (though I'm almost completely sure we have a third one somewhere, so I'll be on the lookout for that). But yeah, so I'm on my crappy desktop, holed up in my room, typing this story because I have an itch in my hands. And this keyboard has become less familiar to me as time has gone on, so my typing is suffering. We're not as tight as we used to be. My new keyboard is so much better, though I don't want to hurt this one's feelings. Anyways. Exam week this week! And then a week or so until camp! =DD But during that week in between, I'm probably gonna have to work a LOT =( Anyway, I'm sure none of you care, those of you who actually read this. I'll just get on with it. Hope you like!

**What Matters Is Now**

**Chapter Twelve**

_Demi's POV_

I didn't sleep that night. I wasn't really awake, though, either. It was strange, and uncomfortable. My eyes were closed, but my mind was working, even if I wasn't thinking any coherent thought. My eyes flickered here and there, and felt dry behind my eyelids. When I 'woke up,' nothing had changed. I was in Squall's bed – because I didn't feel safe around Hikari; I felt like I might attack her on accident again – while Squall laid down a few blankets on the floor and slept at the foot of his bed.

I sat up, rubbing my eyes. They felt like they were covered in sandpaper. I heaved myself out of bed, tiptoeing past Squall – I didn't want him to wake up yet. Even though I wanted him to hurry up and tell me what was going on, I had some things to do first. Like talk to Hikari.

I found her in my room, pacing, tapping the pads of her fingers together. Her head jerked toward me when I opened the door, and she smiled. I could see how unsure she was behind it, though. It was a tentative, apologetic smile. I put the same type of grin on my face, and watched the tension in her face dissipate.

"I'm so sorry," she began.

"I'm really sorry," I started in the same instant.

We stopped, and I nodded at her, telling her to go first.

"I just want to apologize for everything I said," she implored. "You were just worried about me, and trying to make sure I didn't make a stupid decision. You were being my friend, and I yelled at you for it. I was being dumb and nonsensical," she smiled at the silly word, and I found myself smiling, too, "and I hope you can forgive me."

"Of course I can," I said, walking up to her and giving her a hug. "I want to apologize, too. It was wrong of me to judge Zuko. I need to learn to trust you more. You can spend however much time you want with him. I'm not your mother."

She smiled and stepped back. "So, forgive and forget?"

I nodded. "Let's go do something fun," I offered. It would be a nice break to have some Hikari-style ADD fun in my suddenly hectic life.

Her idea of fun was playing Egyptian Rat Screw in our little living room that was oddly unattached to the rest of the house. I never really understood the use of it, but it was a nice place to go to just be alone. Or play Egyptian Rat Screw with a recently distant best friend.

The door opened and shut quickly, and Squall and my Father looked down at us with a mixture of confusion and urgency. Hikari and I lay on our stomachs across from each other, immersed in the intense card game, our hands red from being slapped repeatedly. One of her rings had actually made me bleed a little, which she never really stopped apologizing for.

"What's wrong?" Hikari asked, judging by their wide eyes and shivering forms that something was going on.

Squall was the first to speak. "We were looking for you two," he said. "There's a blizzard going on outside."

"What?" Hikari exclaimed, sitting up. "How bad is it? Can we get back to the Palace?"

I rolled my eyes at how she insisted on calling the house 'the Palace.'

Father shook his head. "It's already getting pretty bad out there. It's best to just wait it out."

"But!" Hikari was momentarily at a loss for words, her wide eyes darting back and forth around the room in stress. "What will we do for food? Extra clothes? It's going to get really cold and we don't even have jackets! Where will we all sleep?"

Father made a move toward her, but stopped.

I narrowed my eyes. I wasn't sure what disquieted me more: how he was going to comfort her, and that he stopped himself. Did something happen between them? The thought had me curious, furious, and tired at the same time. I wanted to know more, I was angry at the whole situation, and I was just plain tired of it all. This tension between them needed to just go away so everything could go back and be normal.

Normal… Hah. I don't think I'll ever be able to say that word wholeheartedly ever again. At least not if everything continues on the path its headed on.

"Calm down, Hikari," I said. "There's no need to worry. There's a pantry over there with crackers and things like that. We've got a blanket or two, and you can sleep on the couch. Squall and I can sleep on the floor." I didn't miss how Father shot me a testing look, and I smirked back. He always chose the most inopportune moments to play the role of 'protective father.' "Dad, you can get the chair over there, but no blankets for you."

He snorted. "You owe me, Mimi," he joked, but sat down anyway.

Hikari had slumped down again and was stroking the edges of her cards absentmindedly. I knew I needed to find a way to help her calm down. I slouched as well and grinned at her. "I hope you're not looking at your cards," I said. "We're not quitting just because of some snow."

She smiled and her brows narrowed in a mock evil glare. "We'll just see who runs out of cards first!"

_Hikari's POV_

I was dreaming. I could tell immediately, because it wasn't snowing outside, while in the real world the snow was raging outside the window.

I was already running when I opened my eyes. My heart was racing, and I only had one thought in my head: _Laguna. Laguna. Laguna._ Every heartbeat heralded his name.

He was going to the Estharian excavation site, and I had this terrible feeling that I wouldn't see him again after he left. I had to say goodbye, and tell him... And tell him...

That I love him. My heart leaped and shrunk at the same time. I did. I loved him. But I shouldn't. He didn't even really exist! But I loved him. Him, and the real Laguna.

When had I realized this? It hadn't happened suddenly, not like in those movies where there's some defining moment, and the two realize they love each other. No, it happened gradually. It started as infatuation - 'cause, I mean, he was pretty gorgeous - but slowly it grew. The way he looked at me, that special feeling I got whenever I was around him, the way he made me laugh, how he made me feel like a woman rather than some clumsy child. It was how he kissed me, smiled at me, said goodnight to me, took time away from his busy life just so I could tell him something stupid.

I had to tell him.

I didn't know how I knew where he was; I just knew. He, Kiros, and Ward had stopped halfway there in a small motel off the side of the road. My breath was hard and coarse when I finally saw it. I forced myself to calm down. I slowed to a walk, taking deep breaths of the moistening night air, filling my lungs and emptying them repeatedly.

The lobby was trashy, but then again, so was the whole motel. I walked up to the front desk, where an equally trashy forty-something year old man looked up from his magazine and gave me a once over and a cocky smile.

I was too hyped up to care. "Excuse me," I started, already looking this way and that around the square room, "can you tell me where Laguna Loire is staying?"

"Why do ye need 'im?" he asked, obviously not looking at my face.

"To tell him... something important."

He raised an eyebrow, but nonetheless said, "Door 17, on the right."

"Thank you," I said, walking swiftly down the hall. I counted the doors. 14... 15... 16...

I stopped in front of door 17. The knob was rusted, its gold paint chipping off in places. I considered throwing the door open dramatically, but wondered if he was sleeping. I knocked instead, lightly at first, but increased my force with each tap. I stopped after thirteen.

I heard some various sounds from behind the door, and soon after, it opened. His hair messy, his eyes slightly tired, Laguna stood before me in only his boxers.

A red blush lit up my face, and suddenly I felt very small. Like a mere human in the presence of a god.

Plus, he was still, like, a foot taller than me.

He blinked, and all of a sudden he was very awake. "Hikari!" he exclaimed, smiling as he said my name. Without waiting, he swept me into his arms, hugging me tightly. "Why are you here?" he asked.

I wrapped my arms around him, holding him close. "I had to see you," I told him, "before you left. I had to say goodbye."

He pulled back to look at me. "Didn't we already say goodbye at the hotel?" he asked, slightly confused, but mostly just happy to see me.

I shrugged. "Sort of, but... there are still some things that I have to say."

He nodded in understanding and motioned for me to come inside. He shut the door behind me and laid down on the bed, dragging me with him so I rested my chest on his and the rest of my body next to him. "So," he said, running his fingers through my hair, "what did you want to say?"

I took a deep breath, and got scared. What if I was saying all this too fast? I'd see him again. Who cared about this weird feeling? This wasn't the end; I didn't have to speed things up. What if he didn't feel the same way?

But he was looking at me with expectant, even smiling, eyes, and I couldn't stay silent for long.

"Well... I'll miss you," I started. "A lot. I'll think about you every day. Um... I want you to be safe. Don't do anything stupid," I warned him sternly.

He grinned and ran his thumb along my cheek. "You know I will," he said. "It's stupid to think I won't."

I rolled my eyes. "Fine. Try not to do anything stupid."

"I'll try," he agreed.

"And..." Here it goes. I swallowed and looked away. "I-I love you," I muttered.

There was a silence, and in that time I braced myself for rejection and freaked out about whether he would say it back or not. My mind was so full of fear and stress that I hardly heard him say my name.

"Hikari." He turned my face back to his, demanding my full attention. I memorized his face then: a small smile, a slight blush, and a look in his eyes that made my heart melt into a gooey puddle. "I love you, too."

All the breath left my body, and I smiled brightly, slowly, disbelieving. "Really?" I asked, like an idiot.

He laughed. "Really."

I swallowed, feeling my eyes tear up, and lay myself down on top of him, resting my head on his shoulder. "I'm so happy," I said. "I was so afraid. I thought..."

"Does it matter?" Laguna asked.

I giggled. "Not really," I said. "Not anymore." I stayed there for a moment, then lifted myself up again. "Say it again."

He grinned. "I love you."

I leaned down and kissed him. "Again," I whispered.

"I love you." This time, he kissed me, taking my face in his hands and pressing his soft lips to mine.

"I love you, too," I breathed between kisses. "I love you so much..."

After a while, there wasn't any room left for talking. Every kiss was gentle and sweet, but filled with love and passion. He kissed me harder, ran his hands down my back.

"_Hikari..._"

His hands ran along the length of my body, caressing me. I moved away long enough to take off my shirt, then kissed him again.

Things were getting choppy. It was like listening a skippy song.

He rolled over so he was on top, kissing my jaw, my neck, my shoulders, moving down. My bra fell to the floor and his mouth was on my breasts, my hand tangled in his hair, breathing hard.

"_Hikari..._"

My clothes lay in a rumpled heap by the side of the bed. Laguna stroked my cheek with the back of his hand and kissed me gently, rocking his body into mine.

"_Hikari..._"

I was digging my nails into his back, throwing my head back and moaning out loud. I cried out his name, told him I loved him, and he silenced me with a rough kiss.

"_Hikari..._"

Sweat covered our bodies and I lay naked in his arms, my legs tight around his waist. His breath ragged, he said he'd come back as soon as he could. "I won't leave you waiting," he promised. "I'll be back for you. And I'll always love you."

"I'll be here," I said, burying my face in the crook of his neck.

"Hikari."

I could feel myself being shaken, gently, originating from my shoulder. I moaned in discomfort, wanting to dream longer, stay in Laguna's arms for as long as I could. But it was too late; I was already awake. I opened my eyes to glare at my waker, then blinked in surprise.

My face flushed when I saw real-life Laguna leaning over me, kneeling next to the couch I slept on. "L-Laguna!" I exclaimed, pressing my back against the back of the couch. It's not that I didn't want to be near him, it was just... The dream had made it so awkward to be around him, and now all I could think of when I looked at him then was how good he looks naked.

I looked away from him to the hideous floral print upholstery. "What is it?" I whispered, knowing that Demi and Squall slept not too far away. I'd hate to wake them.

He blinked, looked back to check if Demi and Squall were still asleep - they were - then turned back to me. "You were saying my name in your sleep," he explained.

My pink face turned scarlet. "Oh! I was?" OHMYGAWD how embarrassing!

He smiled a little, noticing my blush. "Yeah. Nevermind, though."

He stood up, and I sat up as he did. He gave me a curious look, and I told him that I was going to watch the snow. "I'll join you," he said merrily.

Oh no. It was then that I remembered: we'd agreed to stay away from each other. No, I corrected myself, you agreed not to get involved with each other. There's nothing bad about watching snow. I grinned to cover up my thoughts and tiptoed to the other side of the room, sitting on the bench-like windowsill, Laguna sitting not far on the other side. Our knees touched.

A peaceful feeling came over me as I watched the snowflakes scurry to the ground on the evening breeze. "I love winter," I said absentmindedly. "It's always so pure and beautiful."

"But everything dies," Laguna pointed out.

"It's a new beginning," I countered. "The old is cleared away to make room for the new. That's why the new year is always in the winter. That's what I think, anyway," I finished, looking toward him with a smile. It faded, though, as I realized he was staring at me through the corner of his eye, and I felt small once again.

"You always have this way of explaining things," he said softly, turning toward me fully. "It makes everything sound so beautiful."

My heart swelled, and I smiled bashfully. "Thank you," I whispered, unable to think of anything else to say.

I moved to get more comfortable, closer to Laguna. "What's your favorite season?" I asked.

He pursed his lips in thought, then answered, "Fall."

"How come?"

"It's not too hot, not too cold. Everything's colorful, and the sunsets are always the best during the fall. Plus, I love Halloween," he added with a boyish smirk.

I laughed. "You're such a little kid," I remarked.

He raised his eyebrow at me. "Then what does that make you?" he retorted.

I gaped at him. "That-! That makes me... I-" I was cut off when he kissed me, his hand at the back of my neck and his other hand pulling me close at the waist. I made a sound of surprise before giving in, kissing him back eagerly, wrapping my arms around his neck.

"What if they wake up?" I asked when we broke apart briefly.

"They won't," he answered quickly, sitting me on his lap and kissing me hard. His tongue slipped past my lips and I straddled his hips, feeling his hardening body between my legs, pressing against me. I moaned and ground myself against him, earning a groan from him. He rolled my shirt up above my breasts and ran his thumbs over my nipples. I sucked in a ragged breath and mewled, leaning my head back.

He kissed my neck and nibbled at my ear, his hands stroking my thighs, grinding his body against mine. I clenched my teeth to keep myself from gasping out loud.

"I love you, Hikari," he purred, his lips just next to my ear. "Love me."

"I do," I breathed, turning my face to kiss him again. "I do. I love you so much..."

An alarm went off in my mind, which had been turned off up until that point. I opened my eyes wide and sprang off of Laguna, stepping back. "No," I said. What am I doing? I screamed in my mind. I pulled my shirt down, ignoring Laguna's whispered calls, and ran outside, throwing the door open.

I didn't care that there was a snowstorm. I didn't care that all I was wearing was a t-shirt and flannel pajama pants. I didn't care that my toes froze and my teeth chattered with every step. I had to get away. I couldn't be near him; it wasn't safe, it wasn't right.

I ran, not knowing or looking where I was going. The snow was everywhere; all I saw was white, every which way I turned. I closed my eyes and just ran, opening them only when necessary.

Shelter. I had to find shelter. I was too far from the Palace to turn back.

There! Was it... a greenhouse? Oh well, it didn't matter. It had a roof and walls; it would be fine. I kept going until I reached it, and when I did I threw open the door and shut it tight behind me. I took a moment to calm down, evening my breath.

And then, I curled up on the floor, huddled in on myself, and cried.


	14. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: I do not own Dissidia, FFVII, FFVII:CC, FFVIII, or ATLA.**

A/N: Going through some severe writing ADD, which means I have a billion random ideas for stories, and I start writing chapter one in them or like a prologue, and never finish. Meanwhile, my current stories are like "COME BACK!" So please bear with me if my updates are few and far between. Well, here we go. Hope you like!

**What Matters Is Now**

**Chapter Thirteen**

_Hikari's POV_

I didn't sleep. All I did was cry, and when I couldn't do that anymore, I just sat and sniffled. I shivered, so I rubbed my arms, but I felt numb as it was. I felt like I'd committed a crime.

_More like he's committed the crime,_ my subconscious yelled at me. _It's called statutory rape!_

"Shut up!" I cried, whipping my head to the side as if there was actually someone there to yell at. Nothing but snow, just outside the window, slowly adding inches to the already foot-high barrier outside the greenhouse.

"It was just a dream," I said, repeating my useless thoughts. But I knew it couldn't be. Dreams weren't like this. Something was happening, something really… crazy. I couldn't explain it. But somehow these dreams were real, and affecting reality.

Laguna hadn't paid me a second glance before I started having these dreams. Sure, he was charming, but that was just how he normally was! Ever since these nighttime excursions with his younger self, the way he acted toward me had changed. Now he looked at me with a lover's gaze, and it unnerved me almost as much as it made me yearn for him. And now, with this new installment to the Laguna dream saga, things would just get worse! What happened in the detached living room was only the beginning, I knew.

Laguna knew it was wrong. I knew it was wrong. So why did we do it? _We're bad people,_ I pouted. _Bad, wrong, awful people. No, not him,_ I countered. _Only me. I can't hold myself back. I'm a slut._

I must've been seducing him, somehow. But how can you seduce someone without realizing you're doing it? I must be, in some way.

_Maybe I should leave._

The thought made me freeze. I even stopped sniffling. Leave? But where would I go? My parents had virtually abandoned me – not that I could really complain, but it still stung a bit. I couldn't stay in the Garden; the girls there still sort of freaked me out.

Leaving Demi made my chest hurt. We'd finally made up over our stupid fight, and now I had to leave without a goodbye? And it would have to be without a goodbye, because if I told her she'd find some way to make me stay, and I'd just be stuck in another awkward yet wonderfully sexy situation with Laguna. That couldn't happen again. It would just never stop.

Maybe Zuko could take care of me. He was sweet to me, even though he was a little unpredictable; maybe he'd take pity on me and allow me to stay with him, at least until I found my feet.

I'd find him, then. After this snowstorm let up, I'd go find him. It'd be hard as hell in this huge futuristica of a city, but I'd manage.

I sniffled once more, my mind made up. "I'll go, then," I said powerfully. Stating it out loud made it easier to accept.

"Where?"

I jumped to my feet and whirled around, facing the door. The new driver, Vincent, stood there, shivering madly, snow piled up on random parts of his body and gathered together in his crossed arms.

Strangely, instead of being frightened or stunned, I ran over to him and started brushing all the snow off of him. "What the hell are you _doing_ here?" I chastised, flicking my hands here and there, rubbing his wet coat.

I led him further into the greenhouse, toward the spot where I'd been sitting. He tried to answer me, but his teeth were chattering so much that he couldn't speak. "Gawd, you idiot," I muttered. I knelt behind him and shook out his hair, pulling it behind his neck. "Take off your coat."

He looked behind him just enough to give me a strange look. I took it as confusion. I rolled my eyes. "It's soaked. You can't get warm in something cold and wet, not unless we have a fire. Which we don't," I added unnecessarily.

The strange expression disappeared, and he shrugged out of his coat. I took it and laid it across one of the tables, moving aside flowers and pots wherever necessary. "There," I murmured. "That'll dry it." I made my way back to Vincent and sat behind him, wrapping my arms around his shoulders. He stiffened under my hands, but I didn't move. "Body heat," I explained, feeling slightly awkward myself. "It'll help you get warmer faster."

He made a sound like a grunt in acquiescence, and his tense body loosened up. I blushed a little, but shoved it aside. _No more men for you, Hikari,_ I thought. _Bad news, that's what they are for you._

"Th-Thank you," he stuttered. His chattering had already lessened.

I shrugged. "You would've done the same," I said.

He didn't answer, and for a moment I wondered if he really would've done the same. _That's silly. Of course he would. He came here, didn't he?_

"So," I started, remembering my earlier question, "why did you come here?"

"The Presid-dent ord-d-dered me t-to," he explained.

I tensed for a moment. Of course he'd do that. He wanted make sure I was safe, the sweet thing. _But now I can't go anywhere without Vincent just reporting back!_ My plan was shot to hell. I sighed, and Vincent shivered violently. My breath had hit the back of his neck, and the difference between hot and cold made him react. "Oh, sorry," I apologized, and resumed rubbing his arms and shoulders. "Are you feeling any better yet?"

"Much," he said quickly. His chatter had all but disappeared.

"Good." I didn't stop, though. He still felt freezing, poor guy. I'd have to do something to thank him for coming to find me in this awful weather, after it let up. _If it ever does,_ my subconscious added hopelessly.

_Demi's POV_

When I woke up the next morning, the very first thing I noticed was Hikari's absence. Laguna and Squall endured several minutes of my freaking out and yelling, waving my arms hysterically and practically bursting into tears. Was she safe? Was she dead? Where had she gone? _Why_ did she leave?

Laguna seemed to have plenty of answers, but only to certain questions. She'd gone out into the snowstorm late at night because of a bad dream. When asked how he knew this, he said he'd heard her. Heard her what? That was when he started stammering.

He knew more than he would tell me, and it was getting me even more ticked off. Finally, Squall pulled me aside and calmed me down, telling me Hikari was fine, and that they'd already sent someone out to look for her. It was the new driver, Vincent. I hadn't met him, but he was Grimoire's son, so that said something. I'd trust him for now.

Finally calming down, my head started to become clear. The last few days replayed in my head, and I cringed. My life was changing so quickly, and I didn't understand any of it.

But… Squall did.

He'd said earlier that he'd tell me what he knew about Sorceresses when things calmed down. This was the perfect time!

"Squall?"

He lifted his head and looked at me. "Hm?"

"Tell me what you know about the Sorceress," I demanded. I'll admit, it was a little straightforward, but I'd waited long enough. I wanted to know what the hell was going on _immediately_.

Squall sighed, as if he'd known this was coming sooner or later. Apparently, he'd been hoping for later. "I knew the Sorceress before you very well. Her name was Rinoa."

"Was?" I asked. But we'd just been sent on that mission to find her… How can you find someone who's dead?

Squall's eyes narrowed and he took a breath. "She's dead," he confirmed. "…I killed her."

I blinked, my eyes going wide. _He_ killed her? I suppose that was natural, since he was a SeeD, but somehow it didn't sound right. He sounded… regretful.

"How did you know her?" I asked, placing a hand on his shoulder. He seemed like he could use the comfort.

He hesitated. "She was my girlfriend."

A pang of jealously rushed through me, but I shoved it away. Now wasn't the time for that. Of course he'd had other girlfriends before me, an attractive guy like him. But the way he spoke about her…

"We'd been sent on a routine fiend control mission," he began, staring off into a dark corner of the room. "She seemed fine, but her magic wasn't reliable. She'd miss her target, or sometimes just not be able to control it at all. Eventually, she decided to use her weapon instead, for both of our safety. She said she didn't want to accidentally hit me with a spell. I should've turned back then, but I didn't. I wasn't thinking.

"We went into the Fire Cavern by the Garden. It would've been easier to just cast Blizzard on the fiends and be done with them, but I wouldn't let Rinoa do it. She had this face… like not using the magic was causing her pain. I didn't even notice.

"We were heading out when, out of nowhere, comes this insanely powerful fiend. He knocked Rinoa out of the way, and her weapon flew out of her reach. The fiend went for me, but Rinoa hit it with a Flare spell. That got its attention, but she couldn't stop. She started using the magma around her as ammo, blasting the fiend until it was nothing but cinders.

"Even then, she didn't stop. She burned everything fiend in there to crisps, and when there wasn't any more magma to use, the fire seemed to come from her heart. She started screaming, her magic combining at her chest, flying everywhere without control. I tried to help her, but nothing worked. It wasn't magic she was using anymore.

"It was her life force. And she was killing herself.

"She started crying, begging me to kill her. Said the pain was too much. I couldn't, though. How could she expect me to kill her, when I…" _Loved her._ The thought was unspoken, but both of us knew. "When I refused, a different light came into her eyes, as if the fire on her hands invaded her mind. She started attacking me, saying that if I wouldn't kill her out of mercy, then maybe I'd kill her out of self-defense.

"I tried to calm her down, tried everything, but I couldn't handle it. I'd taken too much of a beating; I was running on instinct. I… I stabbed her through her heart. She died in my arms in that cave, and thanked me. That was… three months ago."

Three months. Hardly any time had passed. I suddenly felt wretched, like I'd stolen someone else's man. He hadn't had enough time to get over her, not even close. How could he love me so quickly after seeing her die by his own hands?

"Squall…" I hugged him tightly, resting my chin on his shoulder. "I'm so sorry."

He shook his head. "Don't say that. How could you have known?"

"Still, I should've been more considerate. I…"

Squall cut me off. "The point is, Rinoa made a mistake. She let the magic take control of her, let her fear of losing control rule her mind. Be confident in yourself, and the magic can't harm you."

I nodded dutifully, taking his words in. "So… Rinoa passed her powers on to me?" He nodded. "But I've never met her before. Why did she choose me?"

"She didn't. Her powers did. The magic goes to whoever it believes will be a good host for as long as possible. Rinoa had no say in it. Nor in the way she got her own powers." Squall pinned me with a sad gaze. "She's a lot like you in that way. Figuring things out on her own."

I smiled, and he lifted the corners of his mouth. I figured that was the best I was going to get at that moment. I held him close and whispered in his ear, "I love you."

He wrapped his arms around me and replied, "I love you, too."

_Hikari's POV_

Vincent warmed up fast, which was good, because I was getting freezing. His jacket was still damp and cold, so I couldn't very well use that.

I settled for pacing, rubbing my arms. What was I going to do? I was stuck in here with a spy for Laguna, cold, and who knew when this storm was going to let up? I could be stranded in this greenhouse with nothing to eat but _flowers_ for days! And, looking at the beautiful blossoms, I refused to even think about eating them. They were too pretty.

I jumped a little at the feeling of Vincent's hands on mine. I turned my head to meet his eyes.

"You can't get warm with cold hands," he reasoned.

I said nothing and turned away, silently acquiescing. I crossed my arms over my chest and her did the same, enveloping my body in his arms. I shivered at the difference of heat between us, and he held me tighter. I blushed and tensed up.

"Something wrong?" he asked.

I shook my head. "No. It's… nice. Thanks."

"Hm."

We stood like that for a while, my heart and mind going into overdrive. What was I doing? I was freaking out over a guy who obviously had no interest in me, _and_ right after Laguna and I 'broke up.' If that doesn't scream desperate, I don't know what does. I needed to push him away so he didn't get the wrong idea about me.

But I was feeling warmer. I'd stopped shivering, and Vincent's hands moved smoothly up and down my arms. I wasn't lying; it felt nice…

"The flowers are pretty," he remarked, drawing my attention to the dahlias before us.

"You like them, too?" I asked. I'm not sure why I was so surprised. Probably because, well, first of all he's a _guy_, and guys don't like flowers, but mostly because he just seemed so… hard. He was like marble; cold and unfeeling. Even his voice was devoid of emotion. But even someone like him could look at a flower and appreciate its beauty…

I relaxed a little against him, feeling his warm chest against my back. I vaguely wondered if he always wore that black and white suit no matter the occasion. I mean, here he was, looking after me in a greenhouse during a snowstorm, looking like he could just walk right out and go to corporate business meeting.

In my t-shirt and flannel pajama pants, I felt severely underdressed.

Vincent nodded. "My mother used to garden when I still lived at home. I guess I picked it up from her."

"That's… really unexpected."

He caught my eye. "What do you mean?"

I turned in his arms so as not to strain my neck. "You just… don't really seem like the kind of guy to like flowers," I said, trying to say it in a way that wasn't insulting.

"Really?" Was that a smile on his lips? "What kind of man do you think I am?"

I smiled back, happy he was being so open with me. I opened my mouth to respond, but caught myself. What did I think of him? I blushed as I realized how close we were. My hands on his chest were the only thing keeping us from touching, and his arms had lowered, his hands resting at the small of my back.

I thought… that he has intriguing eyes. That his hair looked soft. That the way his lips lifted in his little smirk was so attractive…

"I think… that you're a really great driver," I said with a forced smile, patting my hand on his chest good-naturedly.

His already invisible smile faltered, but he recovered quickly. "It's good to know I'm appreciated." I could feel him moving away from me, and in a split second I made one of the biggest decisions in my life.

If I didn't do something now, Vincent would walk away from me and we probably wouldn't have an intelligent conversation for the next day or so. By the time we finally got out, we'd still be the driver and the driven, going through life like always.

But I didn't want it to be like that. I wanted to have a _chance_. As far as I was concerned – despite how much it _hurt_ – Laguna and I were finished. So, why did I have to wait around and mope? I needed to move on with my life, prove to myself that I could be happy without Laguna!

So I grabbed Vincent's collar, pulled him close, and pressed my lips to his.

After a heartbeat's hesitation, Vincent pulled away, an unreadable expression in his eyes. I didn't investigate much, though; all that mattered was that he pulled away. He didn't want me, didn't want to be around me.

Feeling dejected, I moved back, but was halted by Vincent's hand against my cheek, lifting my face. I saw his dark crimson eyes just a moment before his lips captured mine.

I hardly knew what to do. It was a kiss, yes, but a kind that I hadn't experienced before. A kiss with Laguna was filled with frustration, longing, and leashed passion. It was an adrenaline rush.

But Vincent's kiss… It was gentle, unsure, testing, but so warm. I melted into him, bringing my arms around his broad shoulders as his tightened around my waist. It was like being shrouded in a summer's night; cozy, soothing, silky darkness.

He deepened the kiss, pulling me closer, his hands sliding up my back. It was all so wonderful, I didn't want to stop.

But we did. Vincent broke the kiss, brushing his lips against mine one last time. I let out a shuddering sigh, my heart fluttering.

And then we locked eyes. And suddenly, we both realized what we'd done.

I just kissed Vincent! I didn't know anything about him! He was just the driver! Not that that made him any less of an attractive guy, of course not! He definitely was still very attractive and – oh, I needed to stop rambling.

I stepped back from him just as he moved away from me. "Sorry," I apologized.

"No, no, I should apologize," he argued.

"No, don't worry about it," I assured him. "It's fine."

"You're sure?"

I nodded. "Let's just, um… get some sleep. It's late, and I'm tired."

He agreed, and we stared at each other awkwardly for a moment. It was cold, so it was either sleep next to each other or freeze.

We ended up on the floor, chest to chest, holding each other close. I rested my head on Vincent's shoulder, and he drew his now dry jacket over me, keeping me as warm as he could.

"Why do all this for me?" I asked him sleepily. "I'm all warm and you're just gonna freeze."

"I'll be alright," he pressed. "You're the priority, after all."

"What do you mean? I'm the priority? That sounds like something a bodyguard would say."

He stiffened. "Well, in a way, I am a bodyguard."

I looked at him, blinking. "No, you're not. You're a driver."

He laughed at this, a soft chuckle, but it sounded wonderful in my ears. "I'm a former Turk, Hikari. Laguna hired me because of my abilities and my connections. He trusted my father to get a job done well, therefore he trusts me."

"But you're not your father," I said quietly, drifting into unconsciousness.

"Yes. It's something I wish more people understood."


	15. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: I do not own Dissidia, FFVII, FFVII:CC, FFVIII, or ATLA.**

A/N: I am hitting such a block with this chapter! Argh! But I'm stuck in the car for like two more hours so I'm gonna try it. I've been reading for about three hours and I'm just unable to read any more. So, _naturally_, I decide to do the next _entirely different_ thing, writing. Makes sense? Yeah, I don't think so either. But I just wrote an excerpt for my other story, Can't Buy Me Love, and it's FANTASTIC so that got me in the mood to write. Well, anyway, here it goes! Hope you like!

Thanks to Sick Puppies for helping me to write this chapter =)

**What Matters Is Now**

**Chapter Fourteen**

_Demi's POV_

The snowstorm had been raging for two days now, and was only just beginning to lighten up. Rather than pounding into your face at a steady forty miles per hour, the snowflakes (or instead miniature snow_balls_) were racing along the wind at a much slower ten miles per hour. The weather was awful, but certainly livable.

That was my reasoning for leaving the detached living room and wandering around the grounds, trying to find Hikari. Squall and Laguna insisted that she was alright, but I couldn't take their word for it. How would they know? What if something had happened to her, and no one knew? I had to find out for myself.

I'd taken Squall's jacket and pressed the fur against my frozen ears, happy that it was just about two sizes too big. It still wasn't nearly enough; my legs were shivering violently in my boots, my hands clenched into fists in the jacket's pockets. I'd tucked my pants into my boots, but it seemed like I was getting wet all over the place anyway. I wondered if I could try using magic to repel the storm, but immediately dispelled the idea. Magic, especially mine, was unpredictable; I didn't want to make matters worse.

For those who've never walked in a snowstorm, here's a lesson: it messes with your mind. You lose sight of left and right, you don't know whether you're going back the way you came or further toward where you don't want to go. You're just running blindly through darkness – in this case _white_ darkness – hoping that wherever you end up is what you were aiming for.

_She could be anywhere,_ I thought, trying to put myself in her shoes. Naturally she would've run off without a second thought. But the question is: if _I_ was running off with no destination in mind, where would I go? Which direction?

I stopped and turned in a full circle, taking in every detail. Nothing but white. I'd gone too far from home to see it clearly, and nothing else was around me. Maybe I could follow my footprints – assuming they hadn't already been covered up – and go back to the den; start over from there. I nodded to myself; that sounded good enough.

I opened my eyes as wide as I could, staring straight at the ground, looking for any small indent in the snow that could have once been a footprint. The newest ones weren't hard to find, but as time went on it was harder to discern print from plain snow.

But directly in my path was a sharp, clean footprint, pointing to my right. Immediately I was on guard. I surveyed my surroundings, tensing up, readying myself for a fight. Whoever was out here could be a potential challenge, considering they'd already braved the elements.

There! It was only a few shades darker than the blowing snow, but it was a blurry human shape. I made my way over to it, taking my steps quickly but cautiously. If this person was dangerous, I wanted to have the advantage of first strike. And if they weren't… Well, better safe than sorry.

Just a few steps… One, two…

I ducked low and jumped, keeping my eyes trained on my target, and spun in the air, stretching out my leg above him. "Hya!"

The figure spun and stepped back, grabbing my ankle with one hand and throwing me to its side before I'd even hit the ground. I somersaulted to gather my balance, snow covering my body, but I paid it no mind. I rushed my enemy, colliding my shoulder with his chest, knocking him back with the heel of my palm. He grunted and stumbled back, but was quick to recover. With two long strides he was in front of me again, and for a quick second it seemed as if he was sizing me up, standing tall before me with no intention of striking.

In that flash, I saw dark hair and blue eyes. His eyes unnerved me, though. I'd never seen that shade of blue before… Tinged with a bit of green and practically glowing. They belonged to a human, but those eyes were the eyes of a fiend.

I drew my fist back for another strike and swung, my knuckles slamming into his gut.

…At the same moment his fist slammed into _my_ gut.

With a simultaneous "_oof!_", we fell back like dominoes, my head hitting the cushion of snow just as his did the same. Despite the pain in my body, I was disgusted with myself. _I can't believe I just embarrassed myself like that!_ I yelled silently. _What a stupid move! I should've blocked his attack; I was too distracted!_

I pushed myself up and saw my opponent standing above me. I could see his glowing eyes even through the snow. "Who are you?" I asked, peering up at him.

He was still for a moment, then reached out a hand toward me. I stiffened in reflex, but he made no move to attack, only held out his hand. "Let me help you up," he said.

I furrowed my brow in suspicion and reluctantly took his hand. I stood and let go as soon as my feet were stable. "Who _are_ you?" I repeated, feeling oddly uncomfortable at how tall he was. I wasn't used to looking up at people.

I saw him smile, but it was more like a smirk. "Name's Zack," he answered. "Zack Fair. Do you always take time to get to know your opponents?"

I was taken aback. "N-No!" I stammered. I pinned him with a glare. "Why? _Are_ you an opponent?"

He leaned back and shook out his hair. "Depends whose side you're on."

"Side?"

He stared into my eyes, and suddenly the cold seemed colder. _Those eyes…_ "Who are you for? Galbadia or Esthar?"

I started. The war, of course! "Esthar," I replied firmly.

He smirked again. "Good."

Either the snow had lightened up or my eyesight had adjusted, but as I looked him over I recognized his uniform. "But… you're a Galbadian soldier."

He looked away and rubbed the back of his head. "Technically," he said. "I sorta… ran away."

"From the army?" I'd never heard of such a thing! I couldn't imagine abandoning the Garden! "Why?"

He tensed up and lost his smile, returning his cold stare to mine. "That's information for two people only: me and Esthar's President."

I crossed my arms, but thinking twice, I stuffed my hands into my pockets. "I'm his daughter," I informed him, finally introducing myself. "Demi Loire."

He blinked in surprise. "Will you take me to him, then?"

I grimaced at the thought of letting a stranger near my father. _But he has important information about the war_, I reasoned. _What choice do I have?_

I nodded. "Sure." I turned to lead him back to the house.

The question was… where _was_ the house?

I mentally smacked myself. This was the problem I was facing _before_ all this happened! And by that time all my footsteps were gone anyway.

Zack seemed to sense my dilemma. "Can't even find your way home?"

I balled my hands into fists, angry at his condescension. "Well, how do _you_ navigate in a snowstorm?" I retorted.

"_I_ have a compass." He held up a small glass object and tossed it to me. I hesitated for a moment, and he sneered. "What, don't even know which direction it is?"

"Of course I do!" I yelled. "I was just looking at it. Give me a break." I turned back around and focused on the compass. Let's see, the house was on the northeast side of town. If we just headed in that direction, we'd surely end up there eventually. I stuffed the compass in my pocket and started walking. "Follow me."

* * *

_Hikari's POV_

I didn't dream that night. It was a relief; the worst thing I could imagine was dreaming of Laguna after all that had happened with us. While I longed for the comfort he gave to me, I knew it wasn't for the best. The best thing right now for me was to stay away from him for as long as I could. In a way, the snowstorm was good for that – or at least my decision to run away was.

And sleeping in Vincent's arms… Well, it made it a little easier to forget about Laguna.

I woke to utter warmth. I could feel the cold around me, trying to touch me, but I was pressed against Vincent's chest, my face on his shoulder, his arms on my back and his jacket over the rest of me. It was strange; his eyes seemed to keep everyone at a distance, but he could hold someone like me so close…

My cheeks turned pink and I shifted, pulling his jacket tighter around me.

"Good morning." I tensed as I heard his voice right next to my ear. He must've felt me move.

I pushed myself up gently to look him in the eyes, and found myself blushing madly at how close we were. "Morning," I squeaked.

The corner of his mouth turned up in a little smile. "You slept well?" he asked.

I nodded and moved to the side to get off him. His arms tightened around me for the briefest of second before letting go. He sat up as I did. "So what do we do now?" I asked. I looked out of the walls. "The snowstorm's still going. I guess that means another day in here, huh?"

He nodded, looking outside with an expression that I couldn't quite read. "Looks like."

To be honest, spending another day alone with him scared me a bit. Remembering my actions from yesterday – the kiss mainly – I regretted them. I shouldn't have pushed him like that; I wasn't ready for another guy in my life right now. I just needed some time to myself, and sitting alone with a great guy like him really wouldn't help me in that regard. I suppose I could just excuse myself to some corner of the room – I wouldn't expect him to follow me and start talking. He didn't seem like the type.

Still, I had to do something. Maybe just small talk. That would pass the time, and it wouldn't lead to any sort of emotional something-or-other that would, in one way or another, lead to kissing.

"So…" I began. He looked at me, and I ignored his eyes, cuddling into his jacket. "This is a really nice jacket. Where'd you get it?"

* * *

_Demi's POV_

Finding the house wasn't hard at all thanks to Zack's compass, even though I never said it. I was grateful for the easy ticket home; however I wasn't grateful for his constant chatter.

We'd hardly taken two steps before he opened his mouth. "So you're the President's daughter, huh?"

"Yup."

"Huh. You don't really seem like it."

I glared out in front of me. "What's that supposed to mean?"

He shrugged. "Well, I figured a President's daughter to be more… I don't know, open? Happier?"

"Are you saying I'm not happy?"

"Well, look at you! You're all defensive and on the attack. Can't you just let go? I'm not an enemy."

"Yes, we've established that."

Suddenly, he was in front of me. I had to stop so I wouldn't run into him, and once again I leaned my head back to meet his startlingly blue eyes. "Loosen up," he said, and something in his voice made me blush. Was he…? "You could be really cute if you'd just smile."

I hardly knew what to say. I blinked. "So I'm not cute now?"

He smirked. "Never said that."

I huffed, regaining my thoughts. "We need to hurry up. It's freezing out here. And don't you need to talk to my father?"

I could hear him laughing behind me, but he didn't say much after that.

Eventually we reached the house, and I led Zack to the disjointed living room where Squall and Laguna were probably wondering where I was.

I was right.

As soon as I opened the door, my father hugged me tightly until I could hardly breathe. "Mimi! Where _were_ you? Are you okay? Are you hurt? Get under a blanket; you must be freezing!"

"Calm down, dad," I said, fidgeting in his embrace until he let go. "I'm fine. Listen, I –"

Laguna's eyes shifted behind me and rested on Zack. His worried expression changed serious in a heartbeat. "Who's this?" he asked.

"Zack Fair." Zack held out his hand to my father. "It's a pleasure to meet you, President Laguna. I believe we have important matters to discuss."

Laguna shook his hand and stood back, eying the new guest suspiciously. "About?"

"The war and the Galbadian Empire."

Laguna's eyes narrowed. "Who sent you?"

"No one!" Zack said quickly, holding up his hands. "I… I left the army. I don't agree with what they're doing."

Laguna was silent for a moment in thought, then nodded. "Tell me what you know. Squall, you should listen, too. This was concerns Balamb as well."

Squall nodded and squeezed my hand for a second, sending me a smile, before going to a corner of the room with Zack and Laguna. I was a little miffed that they'd left me out after all the trouble of bringing the messenger here, but I knew my father was just trying to protect me from all this.

The war had begun not too long ago, after the fall of Sorceress Edea. Galbadia seemed to suddenly remember its rivalry with Esthar from the Sorceress War eighteen years ago, and was trying to get at us any way they could, without being too obvious. They didn't want to disturb the already fragile peace.

That's why my father was having so much trouble deciding whether or not to take Esthar out of hiding. If we were reachable again, we'd be vulnerable, but the longer we stay invisible, the more hostile Galbadia becomes. It was a double-edged sword, lose-lose either way.

After what seemed like forever, I huffed and stood up, sick of waiting around without being included. "I'm going to look for Hikari," I announced.

Laguna stood up, his eyes still serious even as he looked at me. "No, you're not," he said firmly. "You're staying here, where I can see you. I want you safe, Mimi."

"I can take care of myself, dad," I protested, crossing my arms. "What are you so afraid of?"

Laguna opened his mouth, but Zack beat him to the punch. "Uh, I can go with her if you want, Mr. Prez. I've said all I know."

I looked from my father to Zack, back and forth, with wide eyes. "No way," I said. But I knew that expression on Laguna's face. "You're not _serious_? You're just going to let me waltz out into a _snowstorm_ with some guy we both barely know? Are you _crazy_?"

"As opposed to you waltzing out by yourself?" Laguna countered.

"Aw, come on, Demi," Zack said, stepping forward so he was practically two paces away from me. "You don't wanna spend some time with me?"

"I'd rather spend time with a chimera," I spat.

"Either you search with Zack or you don't go out at all." Laguna crossed his arms, his expression final. "That's the deal, Mimi."

I clenched my jaw and stared at my father angrily for a moment, as if willing him with my eyes to reconsider, but finally gave up and sighed heavily. "Fine," I grumbled.

Zack laughed and slung an arm over my shoulder – I could see Squall scowl at the other side of the room. "No worries, _Mimi_," he said, stressing the pet name. "We're gonna get along just great!"

All I could do at that point was groan. What had I gotten myself into?


	16. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: I do not own Dissidia, FFVII, FFVII:CC, FFVIII, or ATLA.**

A/N: TWO DAYS UNTIL MATSURICON! However, there are problems. The bank was closed yesterday, so I didn't get to cash my paycheck, so that means I'm going to do it today and withdraw $100, and then do that again tomorrow, and my mom will have to give me $30 since I can't get that the day of the con. GRAR! ALSO, the pink hair spray I got is crap (I'm cosplaying as Serah Farron from FFXIII and I have brown hair) and it also ran out. So either I have to go out and buy 5 of them from Walgreens tomorrow, or go to Sally's Beauty Supply and buy Manic Panic Hair Dye Gel and see if that works. FRUSTRATION! Nothing is working =( I wish things would get better. Hopefully, though, everything will work out well. Anyway, here's the next chappie! Hope you like!

BTW: It's mentioned in here the Vincent was/is a Turk. If you guys are confused on this, like "Wtf this is the FFVIII world! There's no Midgar or ShinRa here!" Let's just pretend the worlds of FFVII and FFVIII are connected somehow, for the sake of the story? =) I doubt we'll ever travel to Midgar or anything in this story, but it just makes things easier. Thankies!

**What Matters Is Now**

**Chapter Fifteen**

_Hikari's POV_

Vincent looked at me with a puzzled, amused expression, and thought a moment before answering. "It was my father's," he said.

"Oh," I said, nodding in interest. Mostly, I was just trying to put on a polite and open, yet closed, face so things wouldn't lead anywhere. If I could keep this up, we'd keep our sanity, form a friendship, and get out without any sort of romantic attachment. "How'd you get it then?"

Vincent leaned back; his arms stretched behind him palms down, and looked through the ceiling. "He gave it to me when I left for the Turks."

"So it was kind of a gift? He must've been really happy for you."

He chuckled. "Not quite. He was never much of a fan of ShinRa, and the thought of his own son going to work for them disgusted him." A bitter smile grew on his face, and I frowned. "He handed it to me and said, 'Use this as a blanket when they toss you on the streets, 'cause you're not getting back in here.' "

My hand lifted to cover my open mouth. "My god," I breathed. "Vincent, that's terrible. I'm so sorry."

He shrugged and rolled his head forward to look at me, bringing an arm up and resting his elbow on his knee. "Don't apologize. It's in the past."

"But –" I scooted closer to him and placed my hand on his arm. "He's still your father. He can't be that harsh to his own son."

The corner of his mouth lifted in a halfhearted smile. "You've obviously never really met the man. I don't believe there was ever a time when he said he was proud of me. I've always been a well of disappointment to him, and I don't expect that to change. If anything, my choice to take over his position as driver here is the one acceptable thing I've done in his eyes."

I was stunned; not only by how much I'd utterly misjudged Grimoire, but also by how much Vincent was talking! I'd pegged him as the quiet type, but I guess I was wrong! I needed to stop judging people.

Without warning, I started laughing, memories of my own parents coming back to me. Vincent looked at me quizzically and I smiled. "Sorry; just thinking about my folks."

"They must be funny," he replied.

I shook my head. "Not at all, actually. I don't think they have a shred of a sense of humor, either of them. I'd made a joke and they'd scold me for being silly."

He was looking through the ceiling again. "Your folks and my dad should hang out sometime."

I giggled. "You wanna know how I got here?"

"Sure."

"I used to go to Balamb Garden, where Squall's from. My parents really wanted me to be a SeeD, but I just didn't see it in the cards for me. Everything that it stood for just never made sense to me. My grades started slipping and I didn't really care to raise them. They tried everything to get me motivated, but I wouldn't budge. They were practically getting ready to shut me out of the family when they found out about Esthar's Garden. They saw how almost every student that got in graduated, so they shipped me out here without another thought, figuring I'd catch the bug and become a SeeD. They haven't spoken to me since then. Not even a letter…" I trailed off as I realized how sad this was. My own parents didn't care enough to inquire whether or not I'd actually _become_ a SeeD. Maybe they'd finally given up on me after all… "Well, they got what they wanted, at least. I'm a SeeD now, so they can lay off."

I didn't notice Vincent had moved until his arm was around my shoulders, pulling me into a kind of half-hug. It was quiet for a moment, and I was grateful. It was a good feeling, just sitting next to Vincent, tucked away in his arms.

"Do you hate them?" he asked.

"Sometimes," I answered truthfully. "It's hard not to, with everything they did and said. But other times… I miss them. A lot. I mean, they're my parents. I want to make them proud, but I won't change myself just to please them." I stopped and sighed, letting myself lean into him. "It's tough to think about sometimes."

"I know what you mean." His breath was so warm, tickling my neck, and there was something so suddenly intimate about the situation. Huddled in his arms, talking about our personal lives – and finding out we actually had a lot in common.

And it happened again, as if it were written. Without a word, only a tilt of our heads and a tension in his arm, pulling me closer, our lips met. Just like before, I was swathed in beautiful, smooth darkness, as if nothing existed outside of the two of us. The world consisted of his mouth on mine, the way he held me, how his body tensed and his tongue ran along my bottom lip.

It was like a night sky, and the stars were emerging one by one; each star sent a wild rush through me, and I could tell he felt the same.

_Demi's POV_

Traveling with Zack is like traveling with a howler monkey with a bad sense of humor. I say nothing, and yet all he does is talk.

"Come on, Mimi," he whined, trailing behind me. "Don't you ever talk?"

"Don't call me that," I snapped, as I did every time in the last fifteen minutes he'd addressed me by my Father's silly pet name.

He laughed. "Hey, at least I got something!"

I rolled my eyes. It was becoming a kind of goal for me to not say anything, just so I wouldn't give him what he wanted. I'll admit, it was childish, but not nearly as childish as _he_ was being.

He caught up to me and sauntered at my side, finally seeming to stay quiet, but kept flashing me glances from the corner of his eye. I ignored it until he started whistling Eyes On Me.

I stopped and faced him. "Will you quit it?"

He blinked. "Quit what?"

I gestured to him. "Just- Everything! We're here to find Hikari, not goof around."

His eyes seemed to narrow. "I know that."

A shiver ran down my spine and I rubbed my arms through Squall's jacket. "Do you?" I countered.

He frowned, and started walking toward me.

My eyes went wide, and I was immediately on my guard. I stepped back and raised my arms, hands balled into fists. "Get back," I warned.

He rolled his eyes and kept coming. "Don't be a brat," he said. His sudden shift in personality surprised me so much that I didn't even fight when he grabbed my wrists and pulled me to him. I could feel the heat of his body in the cold and shuddered again. He noticed. "You're cold. Come on."

I couldn't even form my question before he pulled me close and wrapped one side of his jacket around me. It wasn't big enough for both of us, and I had to wrap my arm around his waist to stay under the fabric, with his arm across my back and shoulders. I tensed up, but didn't move away.

"Better?" he asked. I tried to convince myself that it was just me, that his voice didn't sound softer as he whispered in my ear.

I nodded. "Thanks," I mumbled, huddling closer.

He smirked and tightened his arm around me. "No problem. Let's get going, huh?"

"Mmhm."

We started walking again, and even though I would never admit it, it was a lot easier now that Zack and I were together. The cold didn't bother me as much, and I was even finding a few of his jokes funny.

I was laughing after one of his remarks, and I could feel his eyes on me. Feeling awkward, I quieted down and cleared my throat.

"So," he started, looking forward again, "how'd you get to be so pretty?"

I blushed madly, my face feeling hotter than Zack's arm around me. "W-W-What do you mean?" I stammered.

He chuckled and – did I imagine it? – held me closer. "Don't be nervous! You just don't look too much like Mr. Prez is all."

The blush didn't disappear, but I answered without stuttering. "I guess I just look like my mom."

"Who is she?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. I've never met her, and Father never says anything about her. I don't even know her name…"

_But maybe it's better this way._ I blinked at the thought. _What if I don't want to know her? Hikari isn't too fond of her parents; maybe I'm lucky in a sense._

"Man, that sucks."

I shook my head. "Not really. I don't think there's anything I'd change about my life. Even though I'd like to know her, I'm happy just living with my Father."

Zack looked at me and I wilted under his gaze. I hated his eyes. They were so blue, so cold… Almost penetrating, like he could see more than could be seen… I suddenly felt invaded and stared at the ground.

"Hey," Zack said, lifting me from my thoughts. "What's that over there?"

I followed his eyes off to the left. It was hard to make out, but there was definitely a structure there. I couldn't tell if it was just the framework of a little house or something else. "I doubt they're there," I said, "but it's worth checking out."

Zack nodded, and we made our way toward it.

_Hikari's POV_

I don't know how it came to this. Why did things always seem to progress without me even seeing how it happened?

Somehow, Vincent and I were standing, my back pressed against one of the tables. His hands clutched desperately at my hips, and my hands were tangled in his hair at his neck, kissing him until neither of us could breathe. His chiseled, thin frame was cradling mine; I could feel every line of his body against my skin.

His arm reached behind me to push aside pots of flowers and in a moment I was sitting on the table, wrapping my legs around his waist, sighing as he whispered my name into my ear.

How did it come to this? What was I doing? What was _he_ doing?

_Demi's POV_

The closer we came to the structure, the easier it became to see. It was a greenhouse, full of flowers and plants on tables. And once again I wondered, _How did I never know this existed?_

"Geez," I muttered. "It's like every day now I find out something new about my own house."

Zack snickered, but said nothing.

There! Between the flowers, there was definitely a person. Maybe two? Well, as long as we found one of the two, it was a job well done. Maybe Vincent knew where Hikari was?

A few more yards and we were close enough to see detail. And the detail we saw stopped us both in our tracks.

Hikari and Vincent were wrapped around each other in a very heated make out session on a table.

Zack blinked, his eyes about to pop out of his head. "So," he said, dragging the word out into a whistle. "This is your friend, huh?"

I hung my head. "That's Hikari," I affirmed. "And our new driver, Vincent. Kissing."

Zack smirked. "Does she normally give this kind of welcome to newcomers?"

I elbowed him in the ribs. "Don't get any ideas," I warned him. He held up his hand in defeat, but still smiled.

"Should we let them be?"

I shook my head. "No. Mean as it sounds, I can't allow this."

He nodded in understanding. "Can't have the employees messing around with the houseguests, huh?"

I nodded, setting my jaw, and stepped forward to open the door.

Their reaction was immediate. They saw us for not even a second before springing away, shock covering their faces, but I noticed that Vincent's quickly gave way to guilt and disbelief.

"Demi!" Hikari exclaimed, her face bright red. "W-What are you doing here?"

I arched my eyebrow. "Saving you. But it looks like you didn't really need it, huh?"

She stood up, looking from me to Vincent, then back again. "Don't blame Vincent," she begged. "It's my fault. I'm sorry; I should've gone back as soon as it was better out. I didn't mean to make you worry." She shifted her gaze to the ground, wringing her hands in front of her.

I sighed. _I can't stay mad at her…_ "Don't worry about it. You're safe; that's all that matters." She smiled, but I wasn't about to let it go. "But Hikari, why did you leave in the first place? You _knew_ it was snowing out, so don't say you didn't."

She bit her lip and shifted her weight. "I don't wanna talk about it," she mumbled.

I opened my mouth to press her, but felt Zack's hand on my shoulder. I sent him a look, but he whispered, "She doesn't want to talk about it, so don't make her." At my glare, he continued, "She'll tell you when she's ready."

I sighed. "Fine," I said. I stepped toward the door. "Let's get back home, you two."

Hikari nodded and moved to follow, but stopped and looked at Vincent. "Are you coming?" she asked softly.

He blinked, as if jerked out of his thoughts. He nodded and, without looking at her, left the greenhouse.

I didn't need to look back to know that she was staring after him with a pained look on her face. She probably felt horrible. _It's her fault, though,_ I reasoned.

Finally back on the track to home, Zack and I walked together again, Hikari bringing up the rear, and Vincent leading the way. "Man," Zack said. "I don't think I've ever seen a couple break up so fast."

"It's not like they were a couple to begin with," I argued. "They didn't even know each other until a few days ago."

"Really?" Zack whistled. "She gets down to business, doesn't she?"

"Hey!" I elbowed him again, harder this time. "That's my friend you're talking about."

"I didn't mean anything by it, honest!" His face was such a mask of child-like innocence that I had to laugh. He joined in and but his arm around my shoulders.

"So," he started after I'd quieted down, "what are you gonna do about him?"

I shrugged. "Nothing. I'm pretty sure he won't do anything now, after getting caught."

Zack nodded. "They're over, for sure."

"But I'm still curious," I said, bringing Zack's attention to me. "Why did she run away? I just don't get it."

"Who cares?" I gaped at him, and he continued. "What, does it even matter? She's back, and she won't do it again. Who cares what her reason was as long as it's over and done with, right?"

I thought about that for a moment. "Yeah, I guess."

Zack smiled and tugged me closer, making me laugh. "So, what do you think of me now? Did I grow on you?"

I rolled my eyes and shoved him away gently. "I'd still rather spend time with a chimera."

I laughed at his open mouth. "What? Come on!"

"I'm joking!" I assured him. "You're actually… pretty okay."

"Heh!" He brought his fist down through the air in triumph. "Knew I wasn't all bad."

I smiled and looked in front of us to my house, looming higher the closer we got. "I'm just glad this whole thing is over."

If only I'd paid more attention to the way Zack's eyes didn't see the house, but instead were burning into me.

A/N: Sorry this is so late! Man, I can't believe I started this chapter before we even went to Matsurison XD It feels like so long ago! Well, that's that, and I'm sorry for making you wait! Please please please don't forget to review! Ooo, and what do you think of Zack? You'll just have to wait and see about him, huh? Mwahaha!


	17. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: I do not own Dissidia, FFVII, FFVII:CC, FFVIII, or ATLA.**

A/N: Phew, well it's 12:38 in the morning on a Monday, and I have to wake up at 5am, yet I can't sleep, plus I'm waiting on a ridiculously large download, so I figured I might as well start this next chapter. Here it goes then! Hope you like!

**What Matters Is Now**

**Chapter Sixteen**

_Hikari's POV_

The Palace loomed above us, and I felt the weight of its shadow come down on me. Instead of the normal feeling of comfort and – I'll admit it – wonder that I got whenever I would see it, a sense of dread came over me, and I shuddered. And it all boiled down to one word:

_Laguna._

I could already feel him nearby. The knowledge that I would see him again warmed me from my toes to my nose, but my shoulders dropped and the breath left my lungs.

_At least we won't be alone,_ I thought, trying to reassure myself. _It's not like we can talk about it with everyone there, right?_

Vincent was the first one back inside. He hadn't looked back at me the whole walk, and my heart was sinking with each passing moment. I didn't _mean_ to do anything wrong! It was an accident…

_An accident that could make Vincent lose his job,_ I pointed out. _And if Laguna really feels the way he says he does about you, it could get even worse if he found out._ A blush lit up my face, and I recalled his words in his wonderful, silken voice: _"I love you. Love me."_

"I do," I whispered, feeling my lips turn up in a dreamy smile. Then I blinked, and shook my head, shooting myself down. _Stop that,_ I told myself.

Demi and the new guy, a soldier I think, went inside, and I took a deep breath before following them.

"You're back!" Laguna's voice sent a pang through my chest, and I shut the door quietly behind me as he walked up to Demi. "How'd it go? Are you alright? Did you find –?" His eyes found mine and he stopped, closing his mouth and straightening his back.

I was overwhelmed by the look in his eyes. I felt so small, like a child who had done something terribly wrong and was about to get punished. He stared at me with anger, first and foremost, mixed with worry, apology, and simple intensity, like everything had faded around us, leaving only ourselves.

I swallowed and wrung my hands in front of me, staring at the ground, breaking eye contact. "I…" I hesitated, then clenched my teeth and bowed my head, shutting my eyes tightly. "I'm sorry!"

Silence met my apology, and I felt awkward, but didn't stop. "It was dumb to leave in this storm. I didn't mean to make any of you worry about me. I'm so sorry!"

I didn't dare lift my head for fear of the way they were looking at me. I started as I felt a hand on my shoulder, and built up enough courage to see who it was.

Demi looked straight into my eyes, pure sympathy and forgiveness reading in her face. She didn't need to say anything; just the way she looked at me told me everything.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, feeling tears gather in my eyes. I was so _wrong_! Why was everything turning out so badly? It was like nothing could work out how I wanted it to. And just look at how I tried to solve things: I run away. _I'm pathetic._

Demi turned to the window, her hand moving only slightly on my shoulder. "The snow is light enough. Let's get back to the house."

Everyone nodded, and eventually we'd all made it back to the Palace, wet and shivering though we were. And once inside, we all went our separate ways: Laguna, to his room; Vincent, to the wing where all the help stayed; Squall, to Demi's room; and the new soldier… well, I'm not sure where he went. I think he went to the kitchen. Demi shot him a look, but said nothing. She came with me to my own room.

She shut the door behind her, and I didn't have to say anything. She strode forward and wrapped her arms around me, hugging me tightly as the tears that had been threatening to fall for the longest time finally fulfilled their promise. I felt bad that I was soaking the shoulder of her shirt, but knew she wouldn't mind.

"I'm so sorry," I said, a blubbering mess.

"Stop apologizing," she said softly. "You're safe now; that's all that matters."

I sniffled. "But I made you worry…"

Demi pulled me away and looked me in the eyes, giving me a soft smile. "Don't worry about that. I'm fine just knowing that you're okay." She paused, and her smile faltered. "You are okay, right?"

I didn't let myself hesitate. I nodded and sniffled again, forcing my lips to form a small grin. "All better."

Taking a step back and nodding to herself, she looked back up at me. "By the way, about Vincent…"

I looked down at the ground. I knew this was coming.

She paused, then sighed lightly. "I'll let you deal with this." My eyes raised to meet hers, blinking in surprise. "It's your life; it's not my job to make you do things. Do what you think is right."

I could do nothing but nod. I remembered when I'd gone on that date with Zuko, and Demi freaked out. I could tell that it was a stretch for her to say what she was saying, but it meant a lot that she was trying to trust me to make the right decision.

Demi smiled and lifted her hand to say goodbye. "I'll be in my room if you need me, okay? See you later."

"Bye," I said quietly as she left the room. I made my way to my bed and sat down, feeling the mattress give underneath me.

I needed to figure things out with Vincent. I definitely needed to apologize. And I needed to stay away from Laguna. I couldn't let myself be caught alone with him again, at the risk of… _things_ happening. Again. I didn't trust my willpower, let alone his.

I stood up and, before I knew it, I was standing in front of Vincent's door, taking a final deep breath before knocking. I waited. Nothing. I knocked again. Nothing.

"Vincent?" I asked. "Come on, please answer. I know you're there." I tried knocking again, vainly. Still nothing.

My heart sunk. He was in there; I knew it. And I knew why he wasn't answering. It was my fault that he could lose his job. What if Grimoire heard about it? He'd never let Vincent hear the end of it!

I let my head fall forward and knock against the door. "What have I done…?" I asked myself, my words a silent breath.

This wasn't fair! It wasn't _all_ my fault! Vincent needed to own up, too. We at least needed to talk about it, and figure out where we'd go from here.

I pounded against the door. "Open up, Vincent!" I raised my voice. "I'm not kidding!"

The door opened, and Vincent stood in front of me in his a crisp suit, his eyes glaring into mine. There was a veiled fire inside his red irises, and it made me swallow.

His gaze cut into me like a dagger. "Go away," he commanded, his voice a harsh monotone.

I could hardly breathe. The sweet Vincent I'd seen in the greenhouse was nothing like this closed-off ice box in front of me. I hardened my gaze and turned away. "Fine," I spat, stomping down the hall. Fine! If he wanted me to go away, that's just what I would do. I didn't need him anyway if he was just going to treat me like this. All I wanted to do was help him… Well, he didn't want my help, so I wouldn't give it to him.

But I knew someone who _did_ want me. Someone who was just fine for me, no awful societal reason to stay away from him.

I flipped out my cell phone and pressed 6, holding it down until Zuko's name appeared on the screen. I put the phone to my ear and waited for him to pick up.

* * *

"I was a little surprised you called," Zuko admitted, burying his hand into the pocket of his jacket, and his other hand into my pocket, his arm wrapped behind my back.

"How come?"

Zuko shrugged. "Haven't heard from you in a while. Kinda thought you forgot about me." He made a mock sad face and turned his head away.

"Aww!" I put my hand on the side of his face and turned it back to me, kissing his lips. "I'm sorry," I cooed, looking up at him through my lashes.

I wasn't sure what was coming over me. Normally I didn't even flirt with guys – at least not intentionally – let alone practically come on to them! But here I was, making sexy eyes at Zuko. What was going on? I guess I was mad at Vincent, and wanted to get back at him. Still…

Well, too late to turn back now. Zuko smirked and kissed me, whispering, "Don't worry about it," past his lips.

I knew where things were going, and I didn't do a thing to stop it. We were walking through the streets at night, the starlight paving our way.

I giggled as his teeth grazed my earlobe. "Where are we going?"

"I've got an idea," he replied, turning onto another street.

I recognized it immediately. On our first date, when he'd accompanied me with Demi and Squall, we took this road to be alone. It looked just the same as before, except this time things seemed to move even faster. Trees whizzed by, flowers flew on the wind, the stars blurred above us.

Zuko's hand tightened around my wrist ever so slightly and he pulled me into the trees.

My back hit a tree trunk, just like before, except suddenly things started slowing down. Zuko's fire eyes glowed as he looked at me up and down, taking in every inch of my body. Leaning down, he captured my lips with his in a soft, languid kiss that seemed to slow my pounding heart. My blood stopped rushing and my eyes closed as if I was starting to dream. It was like a drug, slipping into serenity…

His hands found my hips, caressing the curves of my body, traveling up my waist, the pads of his thumbs brushing my breasts, then taking my arms and bringing them above my head, his hot hands making me shiver against my smooth skin. His hand closed around my wrists for the briefest second before letting go, and it was like he had nailed them there; I had no wish to move them. I was open, defenseless, to him.

Taking my face in his hands, he opened my mouth with his, slipping his tongue past my lips. A sigh escaped me and I would've melted to the ground had it not been for that imaginary nail in my wrists keeping me upright.

I imitated him, my tongue dancing with his, and he pressed closer, until I could feel every one of his muscles against me. He broke the kiss and took the hem of my shirt between his fingers, pulling it over my head and letting it fall to the ground. His eyes raked over me and he dipped down to kiss my neck, lifting my head for better access.

My heart skipped. That moment of emptiness seemed to jolt everything back into focus. Back into hyperspeed.

His lips were on mine again, hard and lustful, and when did he take his shirt off?

My shorts were unbuttoned and he was sliding them off; they fell down my legs with ease down to the forest floor.

His hand slid up my bare thigh and hook my knee on his hip, pressing himself close, and I could feel his hardness as he ground it against me.

Why wasn't I stopping him? Why did I let him slip off my bra and press his lips to my breasts? Why did I sigh and moan at that lovely caress?

I couldn't move. My arms stayed locked above my head, my leg stuck at his hip. My mind started working enough for me to say, "Stop…"

He didn't listen, didn't hear me. His pants hit the ground.

"No, please…"

His fingers hooked through the elastic of my panties.

"Stop it! Zuko!" Tears were gathering in my eyes. I didn't want this. I didn't want this… "Please!"

I heard him mutter something under his breath that sounded like 'shut up', and it made the tears finally drop down the side of my face.

Why was I so dumb? I got myself into this situation, and now how was I going to get out of this? _You can't,_ I told myself, shutting my eyes and repeated over and over, "Stop, stop, please!" _There's no way out of this one. This is what it's all been leading up to. This is your punishment._

"Get off of her!"

I heard bones crack before I saw Zuko fly into a tree trunk across from me. Someone gathered me into their arms, and I knew as soon as I saw the white shirt under a black blazer it was Vincent, and I could trust him.

Vincent shrugged off his jacket and wrapped it around my arms, taking care to avert his eyes from my embarrassment. He wasted no time in going for Zuko, grabbing his collarbone and hoisting him up for a punch in the eye, making his head snap back with a force that I hadn't seen before.

I turned away. I didn't want to even look at Zuko. I hated him, that he would do this to me, but mostly… I hated myself. What kind of person was I that I was so desperate for affection?

Finally, Vincent came back to me, holding me tight in his arms. His warmth made me shiver; I'd been numb to the cold until then. My bare feet were practically turning blue in the snow.

Vincent noticed. He said nothing, scooping me up as if I weighed nothing, and carried me back to the Palace, letting me cry into his white shirt.

The walk didn't seem long, but the thoughts that plagued me were awful. What if Vincent hadn't come? He'd just saved my life; how do you even say thank you for something like that? What could I do to repay him? What did he think of me now? He probably couldn't stand the sight of me, for putting myself in that situation. I was asking for it. Heck, I probably deserved it for all the wrong I'd been doing lately…

Vincent took me to his room, shutting the door behind him and setting me down on his bed, turning away quickly. I gathered the jacket around my body, my eyes on his back.

"Are you alright?" he asked. His voice sounded unsteady.

I hesitated. Was I? "Yeah," I answered, if only to give him peace of mind.

He sighed and started to turn, but thought better of it. "No, you're not. Not after what just happened."

I didn't know what to say. I stayed silent.

"He didn't hurt you, did he?"

I shook my head, then, remembering he couldn't see me, said, "No."

"I… I came in time, right?"

I blinked, then understood what he meant. "Yeah," I answered, my voice a simple breath. "Thank you."

He nodded. "I'm just glad you're alright." There was a pause, then he asked, "Do you want to go to your room?"

Visions flashed through my head, faster than light. Darkness, Zuko's face, Zuko's arms reaching out to me through shadows –

"No," I said, my voice stronger from fear. "Please, can I stay here? I don't want to… be alone…"

Vincent hardly waited a heartbeat before nodding. "I'll find some clothes for you."

In a moment, he tossed a black t-shirt and a pair of cotton shorts on the bed. I put them on; the shirt was like a dress, and the shorts were capris for a giant, but I thanked him. At least now he could look at me.

But he didn't. He still stood with his back facing me, and I said nothing. I knew it; he didn't want to look at me any more than I wanted to look at myself. Just the thought of seeing my face filled me with disgust. Despite myself, a hiccup left my throat, transforming into a sob. I choked it back.

But Vincent was already moving. He grabbed a box of tissues from atop his dresser and set it on the bed, sitting next to me. Taking one, he cupped my face in one hand and gently turned it up toward him, wiping at my tears, shushing me under his breath. "It's alright," he whispered when my face was dry, running the backs of his knuckles down the side of my cheek.

"No, it's not," I argued. "I hate that I did this. I put myself in this situation; it's all my fault." I couldn't stop it; I just kept talking, kept blaming. "I shouldn't need to be loved this badly. And that's all it is! I just want to love, and _be_ loved, but any time I get close, something awful happens and it just slips away." I turned my wet and swollen eyes to Vincent. "Is it so wrong? Is this my punishment for wanting to be loved? Did I do this to myself?"

He'd already starting disagreeing with me before I'd even finished, murmuring "No, no," to me. He pulled me close and rested a hand behind my head, letting me rest on his chest. "This is not your fault, Hikari. Don't blame yourself for the sickness of one person. It's _him_ who did this to you, and I'm just glad I was there to protect you. If I hadn't been…" His breath left him in a shudder. "I don't know what I would have done."

I couldn't speak anymore. My throat constricted and my eyes sewed themselves shut, and I only clutched onto Vincent's shoulders and rested my head on his chest, breathing in his scent. I was aware of slipping, and before I knew it I had fallen asleep, and Vincent was laying me down gently in his bed, drawing the covers over me. He took a blanket and sat in a chair by the door. I would find him sleeping there in the morning.


	18. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: I do not own Dissidia, FFVII, FFVII:CC, FFVIII, or ATLA.**

A/N: I'm in Indiana! Visiting my aunt and uncle =) Me and my mom just went to a writing festival and listened to people talk about publishing and writing in general and things like that. It was fun, even though it was a little discouraging at times, but all good! Well, I just read over the last chapter and I LOVE IT. So! I really wanna make this chapter amazing, too! Let's see how it goes! I'm honestly not entirely sure what's going to happen in this chapter (it really seems like I say that in every single A/N in this story up to this point XD) so I'll just see where it all takes me! Hope you like!

**What Matters Is Now**

**Chapter Seventeen**

_Demi's POV_

Since Zack had given important information to my Father and took the Estharian side in the war, he's being trusted. Apparently, when someone is trusted by the President, they get to stay in the President's house.

"I don't have anywhere else to go!" was his excuse when I confronted him about the strangeness of it all. "It's not like I can go back to Galbadia; not after what I've done."

I cocked an eyebrow. "Don't tell me you're regretting helping us?"

He rolled his eyes. "Are you determined to make me a bad guy or is it just an accident?"

"I'm not making you look like anything," I replied, moving away from the kitchen table where he sat to get a cup from the cupboard. "It's just what you are."

When I turned around, Zack stood directly in front of me. "How are you so sure?" he asked, those eyes of his boring into mine.

I'll admit, I hesitated. But I recovered quickly. "You haven't done anything to make me trust you."

He gaped indignantly. "Are you serious? I'm putting my life on the line so your country doesn't get destroyed!"

"Esthar would never fall to Galbadia," I retort, mostly out of natural pride than actual thought.

Zack became serious. "Not on normal terms. Your army and ours are pretty evenly matched. But a surprise guerilla attack on all sides? Sure, you'd get your military out there pretty soon, but would it be soon enough? Even if we didn't beat you, we'd do some serious damage."

"If you're so against them," I pointed out, allowing a small smirk to grace my face, "why are you still saying 'we'?"

Now it was his turn to hesitate. He dropped his head back and laughed to the ceiling. I relaxed, but just as suddenly as things seem to be with him, he snapped back to me and stepped forward, his hands gripping the counter on either side of me, blocking me in. My first instinct was to slam my shoulder into his collarbone and snap his left arm as he staggered back, but those damn _eyes_ stopped me.

They stared right through me as a lopsided grin snuck onto his lips. "You'll never give up, will you?" he asked, his voice oddly soft and thoughtful, but still with a twinge of laughter in it.

I didn't know how to answer. What was he getting at? And why was he acting like this? All I could do was stand there and wait for him to move away.

He chuckled. "That's okay," he said. "I won't either."

I almost gave a thought to what he said, but my attention was drawn to the doorway of the kitchen. Hikari stood there, a blank look on her face, her lips drawn and her makeup smoky and smeared, like she'd slept with it on.

"Hikari?" I asked.

She blinked and looked at me, as if she hadn't realized anyone else was there. "Oh," she said, her voice sounding faraway. "Hi, Demi."

I opened my mouth to say something more, but remembered Zack. He stood right in front of me, arms encasing me. For some reason, standing like this with him felt wrong, and I shivered at the thought of someone seeing me. I pushed Zack away from me, making him take a few steps back, and shook my head. Why did it matter? It's not like anything was going on. We were just talking.

"Are you alright?" I asked, turning all my attention on Hikari. Zack was weirding me out a little.

Blinking again, she took a moment to answer. "Yeah," she replied, smiling, her voice suddenly back to its normal, chipper tone. "I'm fine! Just a little tired still, that's all." She laughed a little, then made her way to the counter. "I just need some water."

"Okay…" I exchanged a look with Zack; his eyes were wary. He knew something was wrong, too. But what?

Before I could ask, Hikari had left. As she disappeared behind the wall, I caught a glimpse of her face: just like how she'd looked when she first walked in. Her eyes looked… empty. What was going on in her head? I couldn't even begin to tell.

_Hikari's POV_

Demi was sweet, looking out for me like that. But I couldn't tell her what had happened. If she knew, it would only worry her. How could I do that? She saved me, only so I could go out and get myself back into trouble again? And… It was dumb to say it, but I didn't want to prove her right. She'd tried to warn me about Zuko, and I didn't listen. This was what it got me.

I sighed, shutting the door of Vincent's room behind me.

Vincent's arms were around me before I could even breathe the air of his room. "Are you alright?"

Despite myself, I smiled a little. "How many times have you asked me that since I woke up?" I asked, even as I pressed against his back with my hands, holding him close. I still couldn't not love that feeling that I got around him: that comforting, lulling darkness.

_I woke up that morning to find Vincent sleeping in a chair by the door. I tried to get up without waking him, but it didn't work. He was a lighter sleeper than I'd predicted. I didn't say anything; I sat back down on the bed and looked down at the sheets, and he didn't move. It was quiet for a while._

_I replayed last night's events in my head, and I'm not sure what happened. I might've had a small panic attack. Even just remembering what happened was like living through it all again. I started shaking, my breathing became sporadic and heavy, my eyes got wide and strangely I wasn't looking at the sheets anymore, but into Zuko's hateful golden eyes…_

_And then Vincent was beside me, holding me and whispering things into my ear, things that I couldn't hear or make sense of or listen to, but just his voice helped me. I'm not sure how long we stayed like that, even after I stopped freaking out. We sat together, Vincent rubbing my arms softly, like I'd done for him in the greenhouse. It warmed me, yet cooled me at the same time; my mind calmed down, and my body followed suit._

_Sometimes we talked. Sometimes only one of us talked – it was usually him. He told me stories of his life, anything that he thought was relevant, and some things that really weren't, but I didn't mind. He told me about his happiness, his sadness, his laughter, his pain. His time in the Turks, getting used to things, and even a little about President ShinRa. He couldn't tell me too much, though, and I understood._

_Sometimes, though, we just sat in silence. It was those times, between conversations, where we did nothing but be with each other. It was… really nice. I didn't need to do anything to maintain his interest in me, didn't need to say anything witty so he wouldn't walk away and leave me alone. I knew that he wouldn't leave. His arms stayed around me, even in silence when I wasn't entertaining or full of energy. He cared no matter what it gave him in return._

_It was a profound knowledge to me, one that was hard to understand. But I didn't think about it too much; I just let myself be. Just be with Vincent._

I raised my head to look into his eyes and offered him the biggest smile I could give, which really wasn't very big at all. If anything, the corners of my lips lifted a fraction.

"Why are you so sweet to me?" I asked. "What do you get out of it?"

He blinked, as if he didn't understand my question. "Peace of mind," he finally answered. He pushed some hair off of my face, his expression serious. "How can I keep going when I know the girl I saved doesn't feel safe?"

I furrowed my brow and looked away. I didn't understand. What kind of reward was peace of mind?

Surprisingly, Vincent smiled, and petted my hair. "You don't have to understand," he said, reading my mind. "Just promise me something."

"Alright."

"Don't leave until you want to."

I raised an eyebrow, confused. "What do you mean?"

"Don't think that you're taking anything from me. Don't think that I'm unhappy helping you. I'm doing this for my own reasons. Don't try and give me anything in return. Only leave when _you_ want to. And even then, I'll be here."

I was dumbfounded. I had no idea how to respond. What do you say to something like that?

So I hugged him. I let my head rest on his chest, my arms reach around him as far as they would go. "Thank you," I whispered, listening to the steady drum of his heartbeat beneath my ear.

He didn't say anything, but he didn't have to. Just being with him was enough for me.

_Demi's POV_

"I'm worried about Hikari."

Squall sat on the edge of my bed, watching me pace back and forth from wall to wall of my room.

"Why?" he asked.

"She just seems off. I saw her earlier today and she hardly said anything."

Squall blew out a breath. "Wow, that _is_ unusual."

I sent him a look, but smiled. "Don't be mean," I warned gently.

He laughed a little and stood. "I'm sorry. But I don't know about Hikari. She's probably just still worried about everyone being mad at her. I mean, I haven't seen her since we got back."

"Me either, really," I admitted. "I don't know. I think I might just talk to her, though."

"If you can find her."

I whirled around to see Zack leaning on my open doorframe. I stammered in surprise. "What are you doing here? How'd you find my room?" Then, finally, "What do you mean?"

He smirked and pushed himself off the wall to enter a few steps. "Do either of you even know where she is?"

Squall had stiffened noticeably since Zack showed up. "In the house somewhere."

Zack rolled his eyes. "This man's a genius," he pointed out to me, gesturing with his thumb to Squall. "You should really keep him around."

I sighed, my palm hitting my forehead. "No, Zack, neither of us have seen her; at least not since the kitchen."

"So how do you two even know she's here?"

I was immediately on edge at the notion. "What are you talking about?"

Zack shrugged. "She's left before when she was sad, right? What makes you think she won't do it again?" He met my eyes, a hard, calculating one in his. "Maybe she's gone for good this time."

"Don't say that!" I yelled, taking a step toward him. He didn't move away, letting me stomp right at his feet, stare defiantly into his sparkling eyes.

He held out his hands. "Don't get mad at me," he said nonchalantly. "It's just a thought."

My hand was getting hot; the air was feeling dry and full of static. "A thought that's wrong," I snarled, balling my hands into fists.

Zack glanced down for a split second. "I think you should calm down, Demi," he warned.

For some reason, that struck a nerve. "Who are you to tell me–?"

"Demi!" Squall grabbed my arms from behind and crossed them at my back, pulling me away from Zack. I was surprised at first, but it quickly turned to anger. "Get off me!" I yelled.

And then I could do nothing to stop it. My fingertips sparked a moment before white lightning shot out of my hands, striking anything in its path. Zack ducked behind my bed, two bolts hitting the wall where he'd stood. Squall held his ground, restraining me while dodging the streaks of fire however he could.

It was over almost three seconds after it began. My room smelled like smoke and light, the crackling air making my hair stand up. I sank to my knees and Squall let me go, kneeling next to me, studying me for any reaction. I had none.

Zack stood up with wide eyes. "What the hell was that?" he asked.

Squall sent him a dirty look, but didn't deign to answer him. Instead, I raised my head, meeting his glowing blue-green eyes, and said, "I'm the Sorceress."

_Hikari's POV_

I opened my eyes, my vision focusing to show my Vincent's face close to mine. I smiled, taking in the scene – Vincent held me under the covers, breathing lightly. Apparently we'd fallen asleep together. I didn't even remember.

I stayed there for a moment, just enjoying the peace, then stopped. I felt better. Not totally okay, but better. I didn't want to impose on Vincent.

_He told you to leave when you wanted to,_ I reminded myself.

_But…_ I countered. _I don't want to wear out my welcome. So… I guess I do want to leave. That's fine, right?_

I nodded to myself and, as carefully as possible – since he'd already proven how light of a sleeper he was – I pushed myself out of his bed and stood, stretched a little, and tiptoed across the soft carpeted floor, constantly looking behind me to make sure I didn't wake him up. I made it out with no sound and no awake Vincent.

I shut the door in silence. _Now to just go to my room…_

The halls were dark, and I found myself wrapping my arms around my waist in a meager attempt to comfort myself. I hated the dark.

A flash of gold.

I whipped around, wide eyes staring out the window. I searched every corner of the glass, but found nothing. I was sure I saw _something_…

I blew out a shaking breath and shook myself. It was nothing. I kept walking, passing by window after window, dark night and flash after flash of honey gold –

My breathing grew ragged, my pace sped up. In the corner of my eye there were millions of golden dots at the windows, but whenever I looked they were never there. There was _something_ there, I knew it, I knew it –!

And then I wasn't going for my room anymore, I was running, practically _sprinting_, for the front door. I swung it open, my feet pounding on the pavement, my head swinging from side to side. What was I looking for? Something? Anything? They were everywhere; gold, gold, specks of flashing light, everywhere –

And then it was gone. Nothing. I spun around, trying to see. Nothing. Just darkness. I couldn't see the pavement beneath my feet, couldn't see the black of Vincent's sleeve on my arms as I held them out in blind struggle. The golden dots that frightened me before… Now I wanted them back; anything to get me out of this awful, cold –

An arm shot out and grabbed my wrist, and I had just enough time to scream before he pulled me in, covering my open mouth with a hard, rough hand. I started crying, but it did nothing. I knew who it was. I knew, I knew…

Zuko held me tight against his body, hand clasped around my wrists and pressing on my lungs. He was stepping backwards, taking me farther away from the Palace, from my home, my friends, into his darkness.

My head got fuzzy, and I couldn't breathe. I couldn't scream; it was useless anyway. I could do nothing but fall, unable to support my own weight any longer, into Zuko's arms as he carried me away.


	19. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer: I do not own Dissidia, FFVII, FFVII:CC, FFVIII, or ATLA.**

A/N: First off, I really would like to thank my friend Lora for loving this story so much. It's really given me a lot of inspiration to write more frequently. Thanks! And thanks to Shannon, floutistvivi's sister, for loving it, too. You guys rock! Anyway… So! How'd you like that last chapter? Zuko's a crazay man! XD I tried to get that heart-pounding effect going at the end, and I hope it worked. Anyway! Here we go with the next chapter! As I always say, Hope you like!

**What Matters Is Now**

**Chapter Eighteen**

_Demi's POV_

Zack's face was wiped clean of any emotion. "What?" he asked.

"I'm the –"

"No, I heard you," he snapped, cutting me off. "I just… How?"

I opened my mouth, but Squall answered for me. "It's a long story." His hand touched my shoulder, and I leaned into the touch. I tried not to show it, but every time I lost control of my new powers, it made me feel so vulnerable. I hated it.

Zack's eyes narrowed, and sparks flew again, this time only figuratively. "It's not like I have anything to do."

Before they could get in a fight, I stood up, letting Squall's hand fall from me. "I'm going to the Garden," I announced.

Squall jumped to his feet. "But Demi –"

"I know," I said. The Garden had been established to combat the Sorceress; obviously, it wasn't so safe for me there. But it was the only place I knew that I could train in peace. For as long as I could remember, the shooting range was practically my home. Just because things were different didn't mean everything had to change. "Just trust me, alright?"

Squall hesitated a moment, then nodded. "Call me if you need anything."

"I will," I said, giving him a quick kiss before heading out the door.

Zack was following me, and not being too quiet about it either. I could hear his footsteps plodding behind me, and eventually had to turn around. "What are you doing?"

He didn't stop walking. "Your boyfriend won't tell me the story, so I'm hoping you will," he answered simply.

I frowned. "What makes you think that?" I started walking again when he'd caught up with me.

He folded his arms behind his head. "Come on, Demi," he said, "we both know you just can't resist me."

I laughed, and surprisingly it wasn't all that sarcastic. "Just because you believe it doesn't make it true," I countered.

"Ah, but hope is what makes dreams come true, isn't it?" he posed, raising an eyebrow and looking at me.

I smiled and shook my head. He was almost too much to handle.

We arrived at the garage and I rang the bell for Vincent. It still made me a little sad that Grimoire retired, but what can you do? Hopefully he'd visit.

Minutes passed, and Vincent still wasn't there. I rang the bell again, and it was over five minutes after that that he finally showed up. His hair was disheveled and his eyes were filled with carefully hidden worry, and a tiny bit of fright. He rubbed at his forehead and apologized quietly, opening the door for us.

I was puzzled, but I got in anyway, and Vincent didn't waste any more time in starting the car and getting us on the road. "Where are you headed?" he asked.

"Esthar Garden."

There was a brief silence. "You don't know where Hikari might be, do you?" Vincent asked, glancing at me through the rear-view mirror.

I furrowed my brow. "No," I answered honestly. "Why do you ask?"

He returned his attention to the road. "No reason. I thought she wanted me to take her somewhere is all."

I blinked. "Oh."

Vincent didn't say anything from that point on, and strangely, neither did Zack. We pulled up to the Garden in complete silence. I thanked Vincent and told him when to pick us up, and gave him my cell phone number in case anything changed, and he was on his way back home, a little faster than I think the speed limit allowed. I shook it off. He had something on his mind, and it wasn't my right to know what.

It was a short walk to the private Dance chamber. The walls were completely made of mirrors, so the dancers could see themselves. It was small, no more than ten feet by ten feet, with bars on two walls to hold on to, probably when the ballerinas did their exercises.

It was creepy to see my face reflected back at me from at least four different angles. At least I could finally see what Zack was doing behind me, and I was surprised and yet not to see him doing completely nothing. He was just walking into the room, letting the door shut behind him, looking around at the reflections. His face was wary.

"What are you so worried about?" I asked him, turning to face him.

His eyes snapped to mine, then back away. "I don't really know," he answered. "I don't like it here."

"Why not?"

He smirked. "There's too many of me."

I rolled my eyes. "_One_ is too many."

"Funny."

I sighed and dropped into a battle stance, turning away from him and toward the mirror in front of me. "So," I started, "you want to hear the story?"

Zack nodded and backed away, sliding down one of the walls to sit on the floor.

"Well then," I breathed, trying to focus. "Let's see how well I can multi-task." I closed my eyes, centered my energy, and spoke one word in my mind:

_Fire._

_Hikari's POV_

Opening my eyes was like lifting a fifty pound weight. My vision was blurry, and it didn't help much that it was still dark outside. Through the windows, which were oddly open, I could see stars and the light of the moon shining down on everything.

I was in a house. But not just a house. _His_ house. Zuko's house. Maybe not even his house. He might've broken in. Who knew? Anything was possible for someone like him.

The rest of my body became aware to me. I could hardly move; my limbs were still tingling from sleep. Every twitch was like being pricked with a zillion painless needles.

But that didn't matter. Nothing mattered. Because I could see him standing above me, looking down on me like he was God and I was a cat; like he was the master and I the slave. His eyes shone like fire in the darkness, studying me.

Like an idiot, all I could say was, "Z… Zuko…"

He kneeled down by me, until his face was so close that I could feel heat from his eyes. "Hey, Hikari," he said.

"What are you doing?" I spoke slowly, my mind hardly able to function. I still felt like I was under consciousness.

I tried to flinch away from his touch as he caressed my cheek, lifting my chin to look at him. "Finishing where we left off."

Everything rushed at me so quickly my head spun. I scrambled away from him, but he caught my shoulders and held me down. "Don't think that you can get away," he growled.

I could feel the tears, but I wasn't aware of crying. I struggled as much as I could, but my focus was slipping, the brief rush of adrenaline already wearing off. I turned my face away, but he pulled it back, capturing my lips in a rough kiss.

I nearly gagged, revolted, twisting my head this way and that, trying to get free. Finally, he let me go, and I tore my lips from his, raising my arm to wipe off my mouth. I started to insult him but couldn't find the words. Were the even words to describe how much of a monster he was?

He did nothing but smirk, looking me over. His hands reached out to touch me, but I scrambled away, ignoring the way my body protested. "Get away from me!" I yelled, even though my voice didn't raise all that much.

His smirk changed suddenly to a snarl and he grabbed my hair, pulling me up, ignoring as I cried out and fought against him. "You fight all you want," he growled into my ear. "I've waited for you for too long, and I hate waiting."

Fear struck me like a bolt of lightning, and I screamed. To my luck, it caught him off guard, and I was able to shove him back and kick him, scrambling to my feet and starting to run. He spun and caught my ankle, pulling me back down with a yelp. His nails dug into my thigh and I screamed again, kicking him in the face. He let me go and I was on my feet in an instant, running anywhere. He was in front of the front door, and he undoubtedly had it locked anyway.

I ran down the hall, trying every door. Nothing would open, not even closets. I could hear his footsteps behind me, slow and deliberate. He wasn't even trying to catch me. He was just walking, following me at a distance.

_He knows I can't escape,_ I thought. _He's not even worried._

I pushed the thought away violently, desperate. I needed to get out; there had to be a way!

I made my way to the kitchen. Windows everywhere; one of them _had_ to be open, right? I tried every single one, pushing with all my might, then looked behind me. Zuko was trailing languorously, legs moving at a snail's pace. I couldn't stop a half-sob, half-scream from bubbling out of my throat, and I left the room.

Nothing was _working!_

I circled around back to the front door. The knob wouldn't move, the door didn't respond when I kicked and punched it. Zuko's footsteps were getting louder; I abandoned the door and sprinted up the stairs.

Every room was locked, bolted, chained, and Zuko's feet were pounding up the steps, slowly but loud enough for me to hear.

_Yes!_ One room wasn't locked. I threw the door open and slammed it behind me, but fingers grabbed the doorframe and stopped it. Zuko nearly broke the door off its hinges. I went for the window but he caught my waist, throwing me hard onto the bed. The breath was knocked out of my lungs and I couldn't move for a second, stunned.

Zuko climbed on top of me, using his body to crush me against the mattress, halting any escape. "You know," he said between rough, hurtful kisses, "you're starting to be more trouble than you're worth."

I could do nothing but cry and struggle, to no avail, as he pulled Vincent's shirt over my head, kissing every inch of skin as it was bared to him. His lips left a trail of fire on me, burning me until I could hardly stand to be alive.

Using the moment I had when his arms weren't on me and were flinging Vincent's shirt across the room, I pushed him back and rolled off the bed. My knees hit the wooden floor hard and I cringed, but couldn't waste any time. I was on my feet, racing for the door –

His hand grabbed my wrist out of nowhere and yanked me back. He slammed my back against the wall and pressed his body against mine. It was like he was actually _enjoying_ this! I could feel the malicious smile on his lips as he ravaged my mouth with his tongue.

I pushed at him, punched, kicked, did whatever I could, but nothing had any affect. I was desperate. There was nothing left to do, but there had to be _something_! Anything! _Please –!_

I felt the surge of power only a second before it happened. Pure white light encased my hands that pressed against his chest, and suddenly the entire room flashed white. Zuko was screaming, I was screaming; I didn't know what was happening.

It began to fade, like waking up from a dream. Everything was silent. Color started to show itself again.

The bed was torn apart, the sheets blown to shreds. Anything that had been on the desks and shelves of the bedroom was littered all over the floor, if not obliterated completely into dust.

And Zuko lay at the foot of the wall in front of me, on the opposite side of the room, crumbled in a heap. He wasn't moving. He wasn't breathing.

I didn't have to move any closer. I could _feel_ that he was dead.

Relief didn't have a chance to wash over me. I don't think I felt anything. Only one thought passed through my head.

…_I just killed someone…_

Over and over again. I just killed someone. I just _killed_ someone. I ended someone's life.

What had I done? How had I done it? I had no clue. But one thing was for sure. It was my fault.

I found my way out of the house after putting my shirt back on. Turns out, Zuko kept a spare key under the inside mat. I had to walk home; I didn't have my cell phone. I wasn't even sure if I was going in the right direction; I was just walking.

I killed someone.

What do you do after you kill someone?

I couldn't think. Words were an impossibility; coherent thought didn't exist. I just kept walking, eyes on the road in front of me. Cars honked at me, people yelled at me to get off the street, but I couldn't even comprehend what they were saying.

I just killed someone.

"Hikari!"

I recognized my name, but did nothing. Just kept walking. Away from that house, from the person I killed, from the life I ended.

"Hikari, wait!"

A car door slammed shut and in a moment Vincent stood in front of me, preventing me from moving. I didn't look up. His hands rested gently on my shoulders and he tried to look me in the eyes. "What happened?" he asked quietly, his voice hardly a breath.

My mouth opened, but it turns out it was a whole lot harder to voice the thought than it was just to think it. But I did it.

"I…" I blinked slowly, breathing. "I just killed Zuko."

Vincent took a step back, and his face disappeared from my sight as he straightened his back. "You…" He couldn't even speak for a moment. Finally, he pulled me off the road and onto the sidewalk, bringing me to his parked car on the side of the road. "Let me take you home," he offered, even though I knew there was no saying 'no' to him.

I nodded, unable to feel enough to even cry. I'd been crying so much lately, and suddenly all those things seemed so insignificant. I wanted to talk to someone; no, I really just wanted to _be_ with someone.

I wanted to be with Laguna.


	20. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer: I do not own Dissidia, FFVII, FFVII:CC, FFVIII, or ATLA.**

A/N: Well, I'm in the middle of a dilemma. I don't know what should happen first in this chapter. I have two thoughts, but I have to clear them with floutistvivi before I can move forward on good conscience. So! I'm going to write one of the ideas, and if you see this, then hey! this is the one we chose. =) Hope you like!

**What Matters Is Now**

**Chapter Nineteen**

_Hikari's POV_

Laguna's door was made of wood, stained a pretty chestnut color. It had darker streaks all over it like someone took a paintbrush and blindfolded themselves, like wood always has. I stared at the door for so long that I could blindfold _myself_ and paint them right on the lines.

It wasn't that I was regretting what I was about to do. I was just afraid it was already too late.

I knocked on the door, still not deigning to just barge into his room. It felt almost sacred to me, something to be revered. Maybe it's because that's where _he_ was. He was untouchable, so his room had to be, too.

The door opened. No sooner was I met with those startling blue eyes was I laying my hand on his chest and pushing him into the room, shutting the door with my heel and wrapping my arms around his neck, standing on my tiptoes and kissing him for all I was worth. It was a kiss to make up for everything: the way I treated him, how long I made him wait, the game of yo-yo I kept playing with his heart. It was a kiss to break boundaries: the ones set by society, by our families, by ourselves. Nothing was hidden, nothing was held back. I loved him; oh, I loved him, and I let him know it without words.

He held me like I would fly away if he let go, his arms so tight was it almost crushing, but his hands so sweet that I didn't care.

Laguna pulled away and caught his breath, searching my eyes with his. "What's this about?" he asked when he could speak again. "I thought we were through, completely. Why…?"

I cut him off with a kiss. "Please," I whispered, resting my forehead on his shoulder. "I don't wanna think. I don't wanna have to figure this out right now. I just wanna love you, Laguna, if you wanna love me." I raised my head and looked into those pools that were his eyes. "Love me, Laguna."

I remembered when he'd said those words to me, the last time we'd embraced. When my shreds of will were broken. This time, the same thing happened to him. "I do," he said. "I love you."

And then there was no more room for talking. The hands that held me against him pushed my lips to his, and I couldn't breathe anymore. I didn't need to.

It was like every passionate moment we'd ever had together rolled up into one. His hesitant kiss heralded the spark that had grown so familiar, but so distant in that little time that we'd been apart. Just like our first kiss outside of Demi's room.

The spark grew, electrifying my veins and sending my heart into a frenzy. Laguna had me up against the wall, just like that time in his room.

I couldn't think; everything was reduced to primal needs. I needed him. I needed to be with him, needed to feel him, needed to love him and have him love me. I wanted him to know that it was for real; I wasn't just going to change my mind again and run out of his room like the past.

I hooked my fingers in the loops of his jeans and ground my hips against his, fueled by the thunderstorm raging inside my body at his incredible touch, earning a throaty groan from him. His mouth ravaged mine and he mimicked my movement; my mind completely shut off and I moaned, throwing my head back. His lips moved to my neck, nipping at my skin with his teeth, sending shivers down my spine.

Pulling off my shirt, I sighed as his hands stroked the back of my thighs, fingertips teasing the place where I craved his touch more than anything else. He lifted me up and I draped my legs around his waist; I was sitting on that desk again, just like before.

He pulled off his shirt, the action a show in itself. The fabric revealed miles of golden skin, sinewy muscle that flowed with every movement. I bit my lip, catching my breath and trying not to lose control at the beautiful sight.

Thank Hyne, he kissed me again; I wouldn't have been able to stand it if he didn't. The charge just kept building with every touch, every kiss; lightning struck as our eyes met, and he gathered me into his arms, walking the few steps to his bed with haste.

Things were slowing down. He laid me down on his bed, the sheets cool underneath my skin, and climbed over me. The heat of his body invaded me from all sides, and I closed my eyes and sighed, enjoying the sensations of his burning hands on my skin. I arched my back to let his fingers unhook my bra, moaned as his fingertips caressed my breasts when he slid it off, tossed it to the floor. He leaned over me, the smooth skin of his chest brushing against my nipples in a way that I could hardly _stand_. He kissed my lips, my cheek, my jaw, my neck, nipped at my earlobe, all the while sliding my jeans down my legs. I kicked them off the mattress, and unbuttoned his pants, halting my movements completely when he took one of my nipples into his mouth. I nearly cried out in pleasure, leaning my head back and threading my fingers through his hair, feeling the current of electricity flow through my body with every flick of his tongue.

He kicked off his pants and pulled off his boxers, my panties joining them not soon after. His fingertips teased my thighs, almost tickling had it not been so tantalizing. I whispered his name, begging for what only he could give me, what he was holding so far out of my reach, and finally – _finally_ – he complied. I had to bite my lip to keep from crying out as he stroked my center, slipping one long, perfect finger inside me, then another. I could feel his eyes on me, writhing and moaning under his touch, as he played me like a guitar, plucking my strings until he hit that perfect chord. I arched my back, craving him.

I needed this. I needed everything about him, especially then. I needed to forget, to have my memory wiped clean. I needed it to be that snowy winter night in the living room, that morning in his bedroom, that night outside Demi's room. No, I needed it to be the hotel in Deling, the motel on the outskirts of town, back to a time when I could be with him, be _free_ to be with him in my own conscience.

And in this moment, this one moment… I could be.

We locked eyes, breath ragged, sweating, staring at each other with so much heat it was like hell, but so heavenly. I leaned forward to give him a small peck on the lips, and he returned it. No words were needed; we knew we were ready. We'd been ready for this for a long time.

He drove himself into me, slow and deep, making me groan and curl my fingers around his hips. It became a rhythm, steady and sweet; he kissed me like I was make of shards of crystal, ready to shatter with any pressure.

It wasn't like I imagined; I won't lie. I thought it would be seamless and smooth, transitioning from one moment of pure wonderfulness to the next. In reality, it was _so_ much better. We moved with each other, stumbled, and laughed, and tried again. He'd stroke my face and kiss me with a smile, teach me how to move against him, stroke my hair when he could do nothing else.

I could feel a pressure building, and Laguna flipped so he was on top. He sent me a wicked smile, thrusting hard into me, hitting just that spot that I gasped in pleasure. Everything he did was magic, pounding into me harder and faster, sending me higher and higher, until I nearly screamed from it. I captured his lips in mine, keeping his pace with my body, dancing with his tongue. In the back of my mind, I knew I couldn't make too much noise – there were still other people in the Palace. A moment later and he drove himself deep, kissing me hard and groaning loud into my mouth, reaching his high with me.

As if the strings were cut, I fell back onto the mattress, my head hitting his pillows as I began to catch my breath. "Oh my god," was all I could say.

Laguna chuckled and rolled off of me onto his back, pulling me into his arms and kissing the top of my head. "That's good, right?"

I laughed and nuzzled his neck. "Yes, it's a good thing."

"Good." He reached down and pulled up the sheets that had been tossed around, laying them across our bodies. I felt his muscles relax one by one, and the same thing happened to me. It was just so easy to be around him. I wasn't even embarrassed by what we'd just done; it felt right.

_I love you_. It didn't need to be said. We knew. I could feel it in the way he held me, hear it in his whispered words, see it in his eyes.

Nothing could keep us apart. I knew it then. I was meant to be with Laguna, no matter what.

Laguna was beautiful when he was sleeping. He always had some sort of emotion on his face while he was awake; it was refreshing to see this blank, peaceful look on his smooth skin.

I couldn't help but sigh. I didn't want to leave him. I wanted to just curl up next to him in the sheets and freeze time forever, but I had things to take care of. Whether I liked it or not, Zuko was still an issue… dead or not.

Silently, I bent down and kissed Laguna on the cheek. "Thank you," I breathed, gazing at him for a moment longer before tiptoeing out of the room and shutting the door without a sound.

"Oops, you got caught."

I whirled around, eyes wide and heart pounding, to find that soldier guy Demi was with earlier. He was leaning against the wall on his back, his head turned toward me, pinning me with a stare. His eyes unnerved me; there was something odd about them. I avoided looking at them, instead turning my attention to the floor.

"Who are you?" I asked.

"Name's Zack. You're Hikari, right?"

"Yeah."

He pushed himself off the wall and turned toward me fully. Even though he was still a little ways away from me down the hall, he was still an imposing force. "Demi's friend? Her _younger_ friend? In Mr. Prez's room after dark?" He raised an eyebrow and shook his head, tsk-ing at me.

A pang resounded in my chest. "What would you know?" I barked back at him.

"Enough to know what you two were doing in there," he replied, unfazed by my anger. "You thought you were being sneaky, huh?" He was in front of me now, standing hardly a foot away. I had to look up at look into his eyes – I didn't give him the satisfaction of looking away, even though their glow frightened me.

I swallowed as those eyes raked over my form. "Weird. You don't look like the sleeping around type."

I bit back an insult. Something about this guy scared me…

The corner of his mouth lifted in a smirk. "So what was it? Did you throw yourself at him? Is it some kind of weird crush, or is it for the money?"

My heart clenched; why would he say these things? "Stop it!" I yelled.

Zack stepped closer, backing me into a wall. His smirk was gone, his expression serious, his eyes dark. "Did he pay you for it?" he asked, his voice almost a snarl. "Or are you just smitten with our great Mr. Prez –?"

"_Stop it!_" I pushed him away, but he pushed me back until I hit the wall. His hands on either side of me, there was no way to get away. Those eyes of his shone bright in the darkness, where the dim lighting in the halls didn't reach. Who was he, and why was he doing this? Hyne, I was so scared…

I could feel it again. My whole body tingled, my ears starting ringing; I pressed at his chest with hands encased in a white light –

"Hikari?"

Demi stood in the hall, where Zack had come from. She was moving toward us with a purpose, and, like a dog who knew he'd done something wrong, Zack stepped away from me, his hands up and gone from me. I sighed, finally able to breathe, and checked my hands. Yes, they were just fine; simply hands once again.

"What's going on?" Demi asked, her eyes narrowed at us.

I couldn't speak before Zack was talking. "Nothing," he said flippantly, crossing his arms. "Just talking, that's all."

Her expression didn't change, but she didn't say anything else.

I cleared my throat. "Demi?" I asked. "Could I talk to you in your room?"

She blinked, and her face softened. "Sure, of course."

I nodded. "Um, I'll meet you there, 'kay?"

Demi hesitated, then nodded, giving Zack a long look before turning and walking back down the hall.

The second she was out of sight, Zack whirled back to me.

I caught him off guard, stepping up to him, poking his chest with my index finger. "You won't tell anyone what you know, right?"

He laughed, his face dark. "So I was right then?"

"Just do what I say," I snapped, slightly amazed at the inner fortitude that was suddenly deciding to show itself. Maybe it was desperation. I couldn't let anyone find out about me and Laguna; it would ruin everything. I'd gone beyond caring about staying away from him, but I still didn't want to upset my friends.

He raised an eyebrow. "I'm only looking out for Demi," he explained. Grabbing my hand roughly, he pushed it back until I had to bend my knees and practically stand chest to chest with him so he wouldn't snap my wrist backwards. A tiny, strangled cry tore from my lips, and his other hand fisted at the small of my back.

His lips were at my ear, breathing his words down my neck. "I'll keep this from her, only so she doesn't get hurt. But if you ever do something stupid like this again, don't think I won't waste you."

"Ah!" I clenched my eyes shut, his hands on me feeling so invading I couldn't even speak. He held me so close it could've been intimate, but the slime that oozed out of his aura made me feel sick.

He let me go, and I stumbled away from him, holding my wrist and rubbing it. "Keep that in mind," he spat as he walked away. "Slut."

Watching him leave, I felt my lip start to quiver, and tears gathered in my eyes. "Je… Jerk!" I yelled after him, my voice choking in a sob. I leaned my back against the wall and bent my knees, trying to hold back the cries. "I'm not like that," I said firmly. "I'm not."

With a heavy sigh, and a few rather loud sniffles, I stood up straight and made my way to Demi's room. Time for the hard stuff.

_Demi's POV_

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Hikari… had killed someone? And not just someone, but Zuko?

"How?" I asked, staring out the window, brow furrowed, as if searching for answers in the night.

"I have no idea," she said, her voice filled with such despair it almost broke my heart. "Like I said, there was this crazy white light coming from my hands, and then it was everywhere, and when it faded he was dead."

"You're sure?"

She nodded. "I could feel it. I mean, he looked like it, but it was like death's fingers were on him and I could _feel_ that they were there. I'm sorry; I probably sound dumb."

"No, you don't." I knew what she meant, in a way. When I saw a fire, or lightning, or all that snow in the blizzard, I could feel it there, like it was something inside me. Did that mean that death was inside Hikari? Or something else? "I understand. Mostly."

She didn't say anything, just sat at the foot of my bed, legs crossed, wringing the satin ends of my sheets in her hands.

"So what are you going to do?"

"What do you mean?" Her voice was quiet and monotonic, but I knew she'd been thinking about it.

"You know what I mean," I retorted. "This isn't something you can just walk away from."

"I _know_ that!" she yelled suddenly, jumping to her feet on the floor and flinging her arms out to her sides. "You think I don't get it?" She stopped, then sighed, holding her forehead in her hand and turning her back to me. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to snap at you."

"It's fine."

"…Okay."

I hung my head. "Alright. This is what we're going to do." The thoughts ran through my head, and I pulled from every leadership class I'd taken in the Garden, trying to apply it to this situation. "You're going to take me to the house you were at and we'll get his body and burn it. Here. Anywhere else would cause suspicion, and people could find clues. Sound good?"

Cringing, but acquiescing, she nodded. "Sounds good," she echoed feebly.

I stood and lay my hand on her shoulder, giving her a small smile. "It's going to be okay, right?"

She looked doubtful, but nonetheless, she answered, "Right."

I patted her. "Now go to bed. You need some sleep, and some good dreams."

She laughed nervously. "You're right about that," she muttered, and she was gone before I could question her.

I shut my door behind her and slid back into bed, pulling the sheets around my body to cast away the cold. _I wonder…_ I smiled a little and rubbed my hands together, focusing on the soft heat of embers. My skin tingled as the warmth spread across me, sometimes getting too hot, but I was able to quell it before it got too unbearable.

I was really starting to like this.

_White light…_ I couldn't help but think about it. What could it be? It reminded me a little of Holy magic, but Hikari never used Draw Points outside of practice, and she hadn't been to the Garden since the graduation dance.

Things were going too wrong too fast lately. I became the Sorceress, Hikari killed someone with some mysterious power… What was going to happen next?


	21. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer: I do not own Dissidia, FFVII, FFVII:CC, FFVIII, or ATLA.**

A/N: Phew! Thank you to Lora for helping me figure out where to begin this chapter! I hope your mind has pieced itself back together XD And don't worry! There are still more surprises that you don't know about yet to happen! It's not all ruined! Well, I hope this goes well. I am officially starting to wrap up this story. There might be a few more chapters than expected, but most likely not. Most of the craziness that will happen will be explained through dialogue. PREPARE TO HAVE YOUR MIND BLOWN. Just so you know ;D Well, here goes! Hope you like!

**What Matters Is Now**

**Chapter Twenty**

_Hikari's POV_

The smell of a burning body is, honest-to-Hyne ,the worst smell in the universe. Worse than skunks, burnt hair, and fermented cheese in the back of your fridge combined. I tried not to cough, because even though this guy that we were in a sense cremating had tried to rape me, it was a solemn occasion. Still, I won't deny that I scrunched my nose up as much as I could.

I wouldn't look away. I didn't let my eyes stray anywhere but the fire, singeing the air and crackling like a normal winter's fire. If only it were just a typical fireplace fire, sitting in a robe in the cold, huddled around your loved one. This… this just made me sick.

I knew Demi would be mad at me, but I couldn't hold it anymore. I ran into the kitchen, only a room or so down, and emptied my stomach into the trash can. The acid burned my throat, but the smell still lingered, and I coughed up nothing, heaving. I tried to catch my breath, each movement setting my esophagus on fire, but it didn't matter.

Zack sat behind me, sipping his hot chocolate as if I hadn't just vomited in front of him. "I take it you've never killed someone before," he said.

I started to speak, but my throat _burned._ I swallowed, and that did nothing. "Of course not," I replied hoarsely.

"Hmph. Keep forgetting you're a goody two-shoes." He stood and sauntered toward the counter. I kept my eyes on him, making sure he didn't come too close. I didn't trust him as far as I could throw him, and believe me, I had _no_ upper body strength. "Funny, that you can sleep with your best friend's dad but you can watch the man you killed burn –"

"What do you want from me?" I yelled, whipping around to face him. "Huh? You've made your point!"

He was in my face again, without me even seeing it. How did he move so fast? "Have I?" he asked darkly. "What are you gonna do once this is all over? You're gonna go crying to Laguna, right? And he's gonna comfort you, 'cause you guys love each other so much, right?"

"What's your problem with me and Laguna? How does it affect you?"

"It's wrong!"

I scoffed. "So, what? Are you supposed to be some kind of hero now?"

He stiffened his back. "Demi's hero."

I couldn't stop myself; I laughed out loud. "Are you serious? What makes you think she needs a hero?"

He was right in my bubble, nearly pressed against, but I wasn't about to move away. Our aura's were mixing, the anger escalating off itself until it peaked into some awful ferocious feeling. "Whether she needs one or not doesn't matter," he retorted. "She wants someone to take care of her, so she can stop doing everything herself. I'll be that guy."

For a moment, I couldn't speak. I sighed and shook my head. "I don't understand you. You talk like you're on some self-righteous track but you're acting like a villain!"

"Only to you." The smirk on his face made my jaw clench, and finally I pushed past him toward the doorway. "You sure you can go back out there?" he called after me.

I stopped. The smell was permeating through the remaining fresh air, and I gagged, trying to be quiet. "I have to," I replied, even though I knew it was hardly an answer. But it was the only one I had.

It was done. Demi used her air magic to spread his ashes around the house he'd lived in, because she felt that even someone like him should spend the afterlife somewhere familiar. They settled into the ground like little dandelion seeds, as if they would eventually sprout a thousand more Zukos. I grimaced at the thought, and hoped that my imagination was nothing more than that.

Back home, I wanted nothing more than to lay on the floor and stare at nothing. I could really use a good dose of nothing.

But that couldn't happen, could it? Of course not. Life always had to be complicated at every turn around here.

"Hikari!"

I hardly had time to turn before I was wrapped up inside Vincent's arms. His warmth enveloped me, and I nearly sighed. The comforting calmness that surrounded him always settled me, and it was a great help to my racing heart.

"Are you alright?" he asked, his face right beside mine so I could hear his words directly in my ears. "I was so worried about you when I picked you up. I had no clue what happened; I'm so sorry…"

"It's fine; _I'm_ fine," I reassured him, sliding my arms around his neck. He pulled back to look at me, his brows drawn together, but clear relief etched into his features. "There's nothing to worry about now."

He seemed unsure, but nevertheless he answered, "If you're sure, then." He pressed his lips to my forehead and I closed my eyes, breathing in his beautiful night. That's what it was like, being around him; sitting in a quiet evening and simply breathing in the chilled air, looking through the moonlit, dusky clouds to the stars.

But things still nagged at me. It was the way he was holding me, worried and protective, his arms around me like he couldn't bear to let go even for a second. It was the way Laguna had held me not too long ago, just the same. It was the way I still wanted to be held by Vincent, even though I longed for Laguna's arms just the same.

Why was I stuck between them? I'd known Laguna longer, so I should be with him. But then, Vincent was closer to my age, and we could relate on so many levels.

But when Vincent saved me from Zuko, I'd wanted to be with Laguna, to have _him_ comfort me and tell me I was safe. So why was it this hard to decide?

_You can feel for Vincent as long as nothing happens, right?_ I thought. _It doesn't matter as long as you two don't get together. Laguna and I are together now, so nothing else matters._

_Demi's POV_

On the one hand, I felt awful about Hikari. She'd thrown up earlier today as we burned Zuko's body, and could hardly stand to keep her eyes open when I spread his ashes. She hadn't spoken to me the whole time – whether it was out of general silence or some reason against me, I wasn't sure.

I shut the door to my room, finding Squall lying on my bed. It was becoming a pretty common occurrence to find him in my room rather than his.

A sudden thought came to me, and I sat on the mattress and stroked Squall's hair. He mumbled sleepily something that sounded like "Hey."

"Hey," I replied, grinning. "Sleeping?"

He cracked a smile, his eyes still closed. "Just a little."

"Well, if you're not too tired, maybe we could go on a date later today?"

His eye cracked open and he looked at me. "Not that I'm opposed to the idea, but why?"

My smile faltered. "I could use something happy today."

His brow furrowed and he sat up, looking me in the eyes. After a moment of searching, he nodded. "Alright," he answered. I was thankful that he wasn't asking questions; I didn't really want to talk about it. "What do you want to do?"

I shrugged. "We could just walk around, maybe go see a movie."

"Sounds good." He planted a kiss on my lips and rubbed my back. "You know, you can talk to me about the things that bother you."

"I know." _Just not right now,_ I pleaded. "Let's go, then."

Nodding, Squall shrugged on his jacket, and we were off – where, I had no clue and no cares.

_Hikari's POV_

Surprise! Vincent and I kissed. Nothing crazy, like how it normally goes; just a sweet little kiss. Oh, but I wanted more, and I could tell he did, too. Jeez, what _was_ it with me?

And then we went our separate ways. It wasn't awkward or anything, no questions asked. But I knew that there would be more. Vincent and I didn't end in the greenhouse. I honestly didn't think Vincent and I would be ending anytime soon at all.

I was walking back to my room, aching for some peace and quiet and good alone time, and my bed. I really wanted to just be in my bed, snuggled up and comfy, and I could sleep. Sleep…. That sounded nice.

I blinked, rubbing at my eyes. I had to correct my footing, or else I'd run my shoulder into a wall. Man, why was I so tired? I hadn't been just a minute ago.

Ugh…. I set my hand against a wall, bracing myself. This was ridiculous! My vision was blurring, my body was going numb. I needed to get to my room and just crash.

Finally! I pushed open the door and didn't bother to shut it behind me. The second my head hit the mattress, I was out.

And into the dream world. For once, my heart completely sank. I wasn't tired anymore, but it still felt like I should be, which was almost as bad as actually being tired.

Laguna was here somewhere. Younger Laguna. All of a sudden, my heart picked up. Last I'd seen him, he'd been about to head off on a dangerous mission to the Estharian excavation site. How was he doing? Was he alright?

The place I was at looked different from Deling. I was sitting, leaning against the side of a house. There was a path in front of me, a dirt road, and I could hear the chatter and muted growls of fiends from all sides. I shuddered. _This_ was where Laguna was?

Not exactly anxious to stay put in that area, I stood up and made my way along the path, wiping at my brow. This place wasn't a beach or anything, but it was hot!

And the path kept going, and going, and going. I wondered when it would stop. Maybe Laguna wasn't here; maybe I was just honestly dreaming, for once in a long while –

"Hikari?"

His voice! I turned my head up from the ground and saw him standing at the top of a hill before me. He raced down at lightning speed and swooped me up into his arms, kissing me without the slightest hesitation. I melded into him like we were made from the same source, kissing him back like I was sucking out his life, and he mine. His hand at the back of my neck prevented me from moving away, but I wouldn't have anyway had it not been there. He was alive, he was okay, wherever this strange place was. And I was with him again.

The time passed in a blur, quite literally. Maybe it was the dream fast-forwarding or something, but in no time we were in a sort of town square-looking place and entering what appeared to be his house. I remembered that we had talked about what had gone on in his life since our parting – fighting Estharian soldiers at the site, and falling off a cliff with Kiros and Ward, and washing up here – the place was called Winhill – but, like I said, time had swooped by somehow. It was like the last time I'd seen him, when things had gone all skippy. I didn't pay any mind to it.

His hand was grasping mine, and he was smiling as he led me into the house, telling me stories about his life and how he'd missed me. Skip, skip, skip. We skipped the kitchen, the stairs, the hallway, emerging in regular time into his bedroom. Skip a step, then another, and suddenly he was kissing me again, harder and more desperate, like I was the dream in danger of fading away.

Oh, he tasted so good – one more skip and I was on the bed, Laguna pushing me back until I lay down, pulling off my shirt to tease my skin with his fingertips. I tried to imagine things from his perspective: it had been a year since he'd last seen me. I could hardly fathom it – a year without Laguna… I would've gone crazy!

But boy, was I glad that he went crazy. He kissed his way from my lips to my neck, my shoulders to my breasts, then all the way back up again in the most tantalizing pattern I'd ever known.

"What the _hell?_"

We froze. Our heads snapped to the open doorway and the woman standing in it, eyes wide and eyebrows slanted so far down I was surprised her entire forehead didn't tear apart. Brown hair cascaded down her shoulders and a yellow headband adorned it, but that was all I got to see before she decided she'd seen enough. She turned on her heel and stomped out; I could hear her huffing in disbelief as she stormed down the stairs.

"Raine!" Laguna called after her, jumping off of me and fixing his clothes. He cursed under his breath and made for the door, then stopped, turning back to me. "Shit, I'm sorry, Hikari, I… Raine, she just… Argh, how do I…?"

"No," I said dreamily, not quite sure what I was saying myself. "Go."

He hesitated for only a moment before nearly jumping out the door. I could hear his footsteps like raindrops clattering down the staircase, and the door opened as he called her name again.

Raine… Who was Raine?

My thoughts seemed to be echoing in my mind. _Who's Raine?_ The room looked like a fresh painting that got wet, and it was sliding down the canvas, leaving everything white and full of nothing. _Raine? Raine? Raine? Who's Raine? Who's Raine? Who's Raine?_

White. Nothing. Fade, fade, fade to black, and sleep. Sleep. Sleep…

"_Squall? Squall?"_

_What?_ Voices were all around me, spinning through my ears. I felt like I was in a vortex, but wasn't moving, just floating in space without gravity. My eyes were closed as if I was sleeping, and I felt like I was, but this wasn't a dream.

Demi's voice was yelling, going in and out like bad speakers. _"Squall! Squall! Wake up!"_

The darkness of my eyelids seemed to swirl, until the dark blues and blacks created soft color, flowing into each other as if it was an image of water. It was a mall, it looked like – Esthar Mall – with people everywhere, faceless. But nearly clearer than day itself was Demi, cradling Squalls head in her arms, looking distressed. They were by a staircase – had Squall slipped? – and, oh jeez, blood was on Demi's arms where his head lay. His eyes were closed, his expression blank, as if he was sleeping.

"_Squall! Please, wake up!"_

The darkness was swirling again, the image blurring. I opened my mouth to cry out, to stop it in some way so that I could help, but there was nothing I could do. There was a terrible ringing in my ears, not like the normal kind; it had a sort of musical quality to it. Musical… like a ring-tone…

My phone vibrated and jingled underneath my pillow, rousing me to wakefulness. I wasn't tired at all, yet when I opened my phone the clock read 3:07. I'd only slept for half an hour? _But I was exhausted before…_ I thought, puzzled.

I answered the call and put the phone to my hear. "Hello?"

"Hikari?"

It was Demi. The image of her and Squall flashed in my mind again. "Is Squall alright?" I blurted without thinking.

She paused. "How did you know about Squall?"

How _did_ I know about Squall? "It doesn't matter. Is he alright?" I repeated.

"No, he's not. He's in the hospital. I'm here with him, and the doctors are trying to figure out what's going on, but I thought I'd call you and –"

"Demi, Demi!" I interrupted. I sat up in the bed and worked on untangling my hair. The sheets were strewn everywhere and some of my pillows – the decorative, useless ones – where scattered on the floor. _Must've been those crazy dreams,_ I figured, but furrowed my brow. Some of these things weren't adding up…

No time to think about that right now. "Don't worry," I continued, pushing myself off the bed. "I'll bring Laguna and Vincent and we'll be there soon, alright?"

"Okay," she said, her voice like a breath. "Okay. Um, they'll know who you are, so just tell them."

"Okay. Bye, Demi," I said softly.

"Bye…"

I flipped the phone shut and stood for a moment. What was going on? My dreams, my powers, and now Squall… This was just too much.

I shook my head. I'd worry about figuring this stuff out later. Shoving the door out of my way, I strode to Laguna's room and, without any hesitation, opened his door. I was still getting used to that 'no hesitation' part; it was odd – wonderful, but odd – that we were together now. For so long it had been push-and-pull, constant yes-and-no, but now it was a specific answer. Nice, but still strange.

He sat at his desk, the mountain of paperwork normally on either side now resembling small hills, his hair hanging in his face and glasses falling down his nose. Upon noticing me, he stopped everything, like he always did, and stood to walk over to me.

"Hey," he greeted, pulling me to him and giving me a kiss.

My heart fluttered like a bird was stuck in my chest. I wondered if that feeling would ever go away around him, and figured it wouldn't. It must be what finding your other half feels like.

But no time. "Demi just called," I began immediately. "Squall's in the hospital."

His blissful expression fell instantly. "What?"

"I don't know what happened; I don't think she really knows, either, but…"

He put a hand on my shoulder. "Don't worry. I'll get Vincent and we'll leave now."


	22. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer: I do not own Dissidia, FFVII, FFVII:CC, FFVIII, or ATLA.**

A/N: Things will finally come together in this chapter, I promise you. BUT it's gonna be a little bit crazy. Your mind will be blown. BLOWN. =) Hope you like!

**What Matters Is Now**

**Chapter Twenty-One**

_Hikari's POV_

Squall looked awful.

Laguna and I had gotten Vincent, and we all drove to the hospital without hardly a word exchanged. Our thoughts were all in different places, but all centered around the same idea: what had happened to Squall?

Although, I was particularly troubled. Not only was I wondering what happened to Squall, but I was wondering how in the world I had known about it before anyone else? Was it my powers? Or something to do with my dreams?

But when I saw Squall, lying in the hospital bed with Demi pouring over him like a good book, all my wonderings were thrust aside.

His head was wrapped in a white bandage, flattening his hair to his face, even though it was soaked onto his forehead already from sweat. Blood was staining the bandages the color of rust, and his eyes flickered behind his lids like he was still awake underneath his comatose form. Stripped of his normal clothes, he lay under thin sheets in a green hospital gown, making him seem even more hopeless than already – probably because he was missing his black leather bad-boy clothes. Without them, he was hardly Squall. He was just the decaying shell in front of me.

Demi sat next to him on the other side of his bed, her hand absentmindedly sweeping stray hairs away from his eyes. Her own eyes weren't looking anywhere but at him, not even when we entered the room.

Laguna went straight to Demi's side, his hand on her shoulder, kneeling next to her chair so their heads were at the same height. Vincent hesitated only a moment before standing at the foot of the bed, hands grasping the frame. He regarded Squall with the pity one gives another that is injured, but also the detachment one feels for a nearly perfect stranger.

But I held back by the doorway. Because at that moment, everything made sense. Absolutely every question I'd ever had since coming to the Presidential Palace that first night was answered, and with only a simple glance.

Laguna and Demi sitting so close to each other… Yet their faces looked nothing alike. Laguna's angular cheekbones were contrary to Demi's softer tones. Laguna was tan while Demi was drastically pale. Even their hair – Laguna's chocolate brown and Demi's midnight black – could never be mistaken for the other.

But Squall's hair color was the same as Laguna's. The shape of his face matched perfectly, even the shape of his eyes. The face I'd grown to know so well, the face I'd had memorized for so long, was projected onto Squall's so ideally it was uncanny.

And Demi's… the soft curves of her face, of her eyes; the color of her hair; the tone of her skin… The air of the night around her like a perfume. Everything reminded me of Vincent. The only difference was their eye color: blue versus red.

After so much time and guessing, so much left unsaid and unquestioned now brought into light with one tiny, practically insignificant glance.

Demi was not Laguna's daughter. There was no way. But Squall… was his son.

_But how…?_ My mind was whirling, and I leaned against the doorframe.

Vincent's head snapped toward me, his expression puzzled. "Hikari, are you alright?"

I nodded toward him, looking at the ground and trying to center myself. "I'm fine," I answered. "I'll be in the hallway."

Before anyone could ask any more questions – I couldn't have handled any more questions, anyway – I left the room and shut the door behind me, moving to lean against the wall.

And then I got to thinking. _If Squall is Laguna's son, then who's his…_

_Raine._

The name struck me like a bolt of lightning through the brain, and suddenly I could see her, in my dream when I thought all I saw was a yellow headband. Chocolate brown hair, a soft face, almond eyes. Eyes like Squall's. A face like Squall's.

I could see it, remember it. Laguna running out the door, leaving me behind for Raine. I wondered then why she'd been so important to him, more important than me in that one instance. Now I knew.

In the year that young Laguna had been without me, he must've met Raine in that town from my last dream. And then they fell in love, and then they had Squall…

But then I came in.

My head snapped up so hard with realization that the back of it hit the wall with a _clunk_. I winced and rubbed it, still thinking.

If I had seen Laguna like that with another woman, I would've run and never spoken to him again. Any sensible woman would do that if they were wronged so horribly.

Raine must've done just that. After seeing me with Laguna she wanted nothing to do with him, and they must've broken up. Their love ended. So…

They never had Squall.

_Demi's POV_

Hikari left the room hardly even a minute after she got to the hospital and saw Squall. I always knew she was squeamish, especially after seeing how she'd handled Zuko's cremation, but it still hurt me that she couldn't even stay in the room with me, for my sake. At least I had Father, though, and Vincent was here for support.

"How is he?" Laguna asked, his hand warm on my shoulder when I felt cold everywhere around me.

"The same," I answered. "He hasn't moved since he fell."

"Why did he fall?" Vincent asked.

I shook my head. "I don't know. There was nothing to trip on or anything; his legs just caved, and…"

_His eyes rolled back._ But I didn't say anything. It probably didn't mean anything, anyway. He'd gotten a kind of blank look on his face, his eyes rolled back, and he fell. It scared me, to be honest, but there had to be some sort of medical explanation, right? Eyes rolling didn't change a thing.

_Hikari's POV_

This changed everything! _I_ changed everything!

My dreams _were_ the past, and somehow I was being injected into it. So many things were lining up. Laguna hardly paid any attention to me before the dreams, but after I started getting with young Laguna, it affected older Laguna, because he remembered me from the past when I hadn't been there before!

I didn't know how it happened or why, but I was in the past when I was dreaming. And now I was changing things.

Squall was sick… because he didn't exist. Or… he was beginning to not exist.

I stepped forward, off the wall. Maybe I could fix it! He was still here, in this world, right? So there had to be something I could do!

…But what?

I sighed through my teeth. _Crap._ What was _I_ supposed to do? I didn't even control my dreams!

Come to think of it… Who did? That last time, I just suddenly got tired and was practically forced to dream. And then it skipped, like someone had a remote and was only seeing what they wanted to see, like they were impatient. But who _were_ they?

I shook my head. No, that didn't matter right now. All that mattered was helping Squall, any way that I could.

* * *

We left the hospital much sooner that we probably would have had I not been subtly rushing everyone home. Demi stayed with Squall, and that was fine by me because I'd rather she not know about the extent of my dreams, and all the trouble they'd caused.

The drive went by quickly, now that my mind was racing and I had no time to pay attention to the road. I had a fairly vague idea of what I would do to fix all this. I just had to pray that it would work.

I acted as nonchalant as I could – while still keeping in mind the circumstances – as we all entered the Palace. Vincent went on his way, and Laguna began turning toward the hall to his room when I grabbed his wrist and yanked him into the living room.

"H-Hikari?" he asked, surprised.

"Sh!" I told him, holding my finger to my lips. "I don't want Vincent to hear us."

He blinked, then his expression fell into near exhaustion. "Hikari, now's not really the time for that."

I rolled my eyes. He thought I wanted to have sex with him! "That's not what I mean, doofus!" I stage-whispered. "I… I just figured out something: why Squall fell."

Laguna's eyes went wide and he grabbed my shoulders, subtly shaking me. "Why didn't you say so before? How do you know?"

"_Sh!_" I repeated, pulling myself out of his grasp. "Be quiet, jeez!" I took a moment, then continued. "Listen, this is gonna sound ridiculous, but I need you to believe me, okay? I've thought this through, and it's for real."

He nodded, but I still suspected he'd think I was crazy by the time I'd finished. Nevertheless, I went through my thought process with him, from the moment I'd seen that still-life frame in the hospital to now. His face changed so much I stopped being able to tell what he was thinking, and just went for it, hoping he believed me.

Finally, I was done. He was sitting in the couch now, staring at the floor. I paused, letting it sink in before I said anything else.

"I believe you," he finally said.

"You do?" I asked, disbelieving. I hardly even believed it myself!

He nodded. "I have a friend – she's really almost a daughter to me – that could compress time and send people into the past. I doubt she's the culprit, but I've seen and felt it done before." He was silent for a few seconds, then raised his head to look at me. "So… it's you. You're the same Hikari from my past."

Despite the hope that gathered in my chest, I shook my head. "No, I'm the same Hikari from _now_. I was just put into your past, that's –"

Laguna stood up so fast that I stopped speaking. "Whatever," he interrupted. "Hikari, I know what you're thinking –"

"Of course you do, because you're thinking it, too!" I exclaimed. "We never should have been together; look at what's happened because of us!"

"Don't say that!" Laguna stepped forward and grabbed my hands, staring into my eyes. "I wouldn't give up my time with you for anything. I love you, whatever the reason may be," he confessed, stroking my cheek. Before I could speak again, he captured my lips in a searing kiss, his hand at the back of my neck.

My hands grabbed at his collar, kissing him back with all my soul, knowing this was it, no matter what he said. I couldn't allow this anymore, not when it was affecting others around us. Before it had only been against my conscience; now it had put my loved ones in danger. This couldn't continue.

I pushed him away, gathering my breath. "Stop this, Laguna! We don't have a future together!"

"I don't care about the future, or the past!" he argued, like a stubborn child. "What matters is now!"

I huffed and turned away, unable to take any more of this. He just wasn't listening!

Well, I'd make him listen. I whipped back around and caught his eyes. "This is what I need you to do, and you're going to it, okay? This is for Squall, your _son_, and Raine, your _wife_. Forget about me." His mouth opened, but I wouldn't let him speak. "Do you need more incentive than just to save your own family?"

He clenched his teeth, seeming to struggle for a moment. "I know. I just… I don't want to have to let you go."

His eyes so sad, his heart so torn and open; I knew just how he felt. "I'm sorry. But… this is how it has to be."

A nod. Nothing else.

I took a breath. "This is what I need you to do," I repeated. "It might not work, but it's the only chance Squall has." I stood tall and met his eyes. "I need you to knock me out."

His brow furrowed, but I could tell he understood my reasons. Hopefully, I'd go back into the past while I was unconscious and talk to young Laguna and get him to apologize to Raine, and if things went the way I wanted them to, I would be out of his life forever and Squall would be safe.

Without a word, he stepped toward me, kissed me on my lips one last time, and slammed his fist into my skull.

* * *

The dream-world was hazy at best. I appeared in Laguna's house and walked up to his room where I found him sitting on his bed, his head in his hands. He smiled when he saw me and kissed and embraced me, and I fought against his beautiful electricity to tell him what he had to hear.

He listened just like he'd done in the future, his face changing, except a little more confused than the one who had the past to line this all up with. I had to explain that I was from the future – which made me feel like some sort of sci-fi alien – and about his future, and how he had to save it by giving me up. At first, he reacted just like future Laguna did – kissing me and trying to dissuade me with his affections – but when he found out how set on my path I was, he knew I was telling the truth and there was no way out of it.

I told him I loved him. I told him to apologize to Raine. And I told him to forget about me. He told me he loved me back and promised to apologize to Raine, but he assured me that he could never forget about me. With one last kiss, he left the room, and as I looked out the window I saw him go to Raine's house next door. I forced myself to smile even when I felt like crying myself to death, but before any tears could fall, I was collapsing onto his bed and watching my foggy surroundings disappear…

* * *

And I was back in the living room. My head rested in Laguna's lap and he was absentmindedly stroking my hair as I lay on the couch. I felt lethargic, like I normally did after waking up from the past.

I pushed myself up and rubbed my eyes. "I think it worked," I said.

Laguna did nothing but nod and give a little grunt-like sound in acknowledgement. I figured that would be the best I'd be getting out of him for a while.

A few silent, awkward moments passed where I wasn't quite sure what to do. Should I leave the room? Stay and try to talk to Laguna? My wonderings were remedied, however, when my cell phone started ringing. I dug it out of my pocket and flipped it open, holding it to my ear. "Hello?"

"Hikari!" It was Demi, sounding on the verge of tears. "You won't believe it! Squall's waking up! He's alive! He's okay!"

A sort of serene smile broke out on my face as I listened to her cry tears of joy. "That's amazing, Demi," I said. "We'll be right over."


	23. Chapter 22

**Disclaimer: I do not own Dissidia, FFVII, FFVII:CC, FFVIII, or ATLA.**

A/N: Are your minds blown yet? :D If so, I'm glad. Those were the intended results. Well, I'm finding it hard to write this chapter only because I guess it's hard to follow the last one up! It was a pretty important one, and I'm afraid this one will kinda be a bit of a dip in the WHOA-ness of what's going on. Well, I'm in a writing mood, so hopefully this'll all go well! Not sure where to begin, but I'm sure it'll just happen as it does, how it normally goes =) Hope you like!

**What Matters Is Now**

**Chapter Twenty-Two**

_Demi's POV_

The nurses had finally left after checking Squall's vitals and everything else that they had to check to make sure he was alive and alright; and sure enough, he was just fine, as if nothing had happened in the first place. With the door closed and the curtains pulled, I brushing Squall's hair away from his face and he sleepily blinked open his eyes, sending me a tired smile. "Feels good to be alive again," he said.

I laughed behind my smile. "You weren't dead to begin with," I pointed out.

He closed his eyes as I caressed his cheek. "It felt like it. It was just… nothing, everywhere."

"Do you have a clue what happened?" I asked.

He shook his head minutely, too fatigued to move too much. "I'm just as confused as you are."

I sighed, resting my elbow on his bed. "Well, at least you're okay now," I offered. "Whatever it was, it's finished."

Squall's lips curved up in a smirk. "I can't die yet, anyway. There's still something I need to tell you."

I raised an eyebrow. "What's that?"

"That I'm hopelessly in love with you."

My face broke out into a wide, toothy smile and I blushed until I was the color of a rose. "I'm in love with _you_," I whispered.

His answering smile was weak, but it shone with a brilliance that blinded me to my core. I loved him, I really did. I could spend forever with him.

_Hikari's POV_

I was extremely glad to see that Squall was okay, and obviously Demi was as well, the way she kept holding her tears back and kissing him and hugging him. Squall didn't seem to mind at all. It made my heart glow to see them like that, so happy and in love, in complete and utter bliss.

And then I saw the way that Laguna was looking at them.

So much emotion was in his eyes, I couldn't even fathom how it could all be contained in such a confined space. Happiness at how Squall was alright and how joyful Demi was; sad at the loss of me; conflicted at the sight of the girl who was no longer his daughter and the boy who was suddenly his son; and the memories, so many memories, going through his mind.

The part of me that loved him – so pretty much _all_ of me – wanted to forget everything and help him through this, be loyal and by his side everywhere he could go and through everything, but I knew I couldn't. I rooted myself in the spot where I stood, watching the scene unfold in front of me. A family back together again, but underneath, getting torn apart.

* * *

"Things are all better now, aren't they?"

The comment would've been welcomed had it not been asked so sarcastically, and it was tarnished even more so when I saw where it had come from.

I seemed to have left my door open in my not-caring-about-anything after Squall had been taken home and laid down in Demi's room – she hadn't left his side the whole time, and who could blame her? Laguna and I didn't speak, just went along with our business while trying to get things back to normal, easy as it was – and now Zack leaned with his arms crossed in my doorway, his condescending smirk forever glued onto his face.

I sighed and shut my eyes, laying back down and relaxing on my bed. "They were until you spoke up. I hadn't seen you for so long, I thought you left."

"Sorry to disappoint," he sneered, walking in. His footsteps were heavy, like he was wearing boots. Probably tracking dirt into my room, jerk.

"Are you here just to ruin my day or do you actually have a purpose?" I asked, still not opening my eyes.

"From what I gather, your day is already ruined, isn't it?"

My eyes shot open and I glared at him with a power I was surprised I still had. He was standing at the side of my bed, staring right down at me, his hands in his pockets. He blinked at my gaze, but did nothing else.

"What do you know?" I asked, my voice harsh compared to how quiet it had just been.

His brow raised slightly, perhaps surprised at my sudden anger, but otherwise he showed no emotion. "You and Mr. Prez aren't hanging out; I think that's enough of a tip-off."

"So just because we aren't together for two minutes, you figure we're over?"

"Hikari, it's been two _hours._ Yes, you two are over."

I'm not entirely sure what came over me. I knew it: Laguna and I were through. Hard to accept, but completely true. I knew it. But hearing _him_ say it, with his blank face and emotionless voice, in that matter of fact tone, like it was common knowledge, like it wasn't a big deal when it _was_, when it was _tearing me apart_-! I couldn't handle it.

I bolted up and leaned forward, snapping my hand out to grab Zack's shirt and pull him forward with a force that I hadn't felt since… Since the first time I met him, when he talked bad about me and Laguna. All over again, always him, pissing me off.

I slammed him down on my bed, one hand fisted in the fabric of his shirt, right on his chest, the other at my side, fingers flexed painfully until they were almost like claws. My legs straddled his hips, my lips were drawn and my teeth bared – I felt like an animal but I didn't care.

"What do you get from this?" I yelled, my voice rash and guttural, almost a growl. My hand was glowing white, and my vision was fading, spots of white appearing like someone poked a hole in a screen. "You ridicule me, you put me down; what do you get?"

Zack let out a strangled cry from behind his teeth, his glowing fiend eyes squeezing shut. He tossed his head and his hands clenched around my wrist; I could feel the cold of his fingers disappear as they were burned by the white. It was like controlled fire, like my rage turned to flame, burning through the skin of his palms, the fabric of his shirt and into his chest.

I was immune to his yells of pain, staring straight down at his face, unfazed by his agonized expression. My vision was almost completely white, and only then did I realize that something was wrong with me – what was I doing? But it was too late; my lips were moving and I was speaking, someone else was. "You think you kan kontrol me? I am more powerful than you kould ever hope to be."

Zack was screaming my name and I could smell his flesh burning. I wanted to crinkle my nose, wanted to stop what I was doing and turn away, let him go, but I wasn't in control of my body.

The woman inside my mind kept speaking, a smile growing on her – my – lips. "You aren't vital to me. You play with fire and don't expekt to get burned? It is time that you get what you deserve, fiend."

"_Hikari!"_ Zack screamed.

I clenched my mental fists, closed my mental eyes, and screamed at the top of my mental lungs: "_NO!_"

I was shot forward like a bullet, and suddenly I was in a small room dyed white. I couldn't even see where the floor and walls connected. I didn't even have a shadow.

And there was a woman in the room with me, staring at me with the tiniest hints of a smile on her face. She had white hair conformed into horns stretching out on either side of her head and pink markings along her cheekbones, from her hairline to the sides of her mouth. She was tall and thin, wearing a luxurious red dress with black fur along the plunging neckline, black wings unfolded behind her, the feathers transitioning to blue toward the tips. Her feet resembled animalistic blue paws with claws and her fingernails were sharp, her eyes piercing through me and making me still. Everything about her was frightening, commanding, and bestial.

I found that I could speak now, but I almost didn't want to. I was afraid to. This woman was a threat, and all I wanted to do was stand still and fade away like dust in the wind.

She seemed to notice this. "You are frightened of me," she observed.

I nodded without hesitation, raising my eyebrows at that. I didn't want to admit that I was scared! Why had I just done that?

Her shoulders rose and fell, and I could only assume that she had laughed. "You kannot hide anything from me," she explained. "Why don't you speak?"

She waved her hand and my throat loosened, and suddenly it seemed inane not to say anything. "My name's Hikari," I said, stating the first thing that came to mind.

Once again, she seemed to laugh. "I know your name. I know many things about you." She walked forward while I was rooted in place, our gazes locked. "But you know nothing about me, korrekt?"

Her accent was strange and harsh on my ears, but I didn't let it register on my face. "I don't know you."

"I am Ultimecia," she said, nodding her head slightly in introduction. "I am a Sorceress."

"Why are you controlling me?" I blurted out, getting bolder by the second. I felt like I could move, but I chose to remain still, at least for now.

Her eyebrows raised slightly, but otherwise she was not surprised. "You were the easiest target," she explained calmly. "You were a kreature of light, as am I. The Holy magik has chosen us both."

"Were?" I questioned. What did she mean, I _was_ a creature of light?

"Your friend, the dark one, was the more obvious choice at the beginning, but when I saw how you looked at Laguna… well, the choice bekame clear."

"What do you mean, '_were_?'" I asked again, more forcefully.

Ultimecia blinked. "Look at the walls," she commanded.

I did as she said, and was mildly shocked to see the once-white walls now covered with spots of black, varying in size and shape. Even the floor and ceiling were polka-dotted, but somehow it was menacing, and struck fear into me.

My eyes snapped back to the Sorceress. "What have you done to me?"

"I may have been chosen by the Holy magik, but my soul and mind lie in darkness now. My many konferences with you have affekted you, as you kan see."

"Are we inside my mind?"

"Exaktly. You are still mostly light, but the darkness is koming in. Eventually, you will bekome and entirely dark being, and therefore useless and inhabitable to me." She clicked her tongue against her teeth. "A pity, but I will be done with soon in any kase."

"Done with me?" I repeated, rather angrily.

"Yes," she said flippantly, turning away from me to walk absentmindedly toward one of the walls. "You had almost kompleted your purpose, but you had to go changing things, didn't you? So what else kan I do but kill Squall myself?"

"_What_?" I yelled, and she turned to pin her eyes on me once again. "Kill Squall? You can't!"

Suddenly, she was right in front of me. "I kan do whatever I wish, little girl," she snarled at me. "I have invaded your mind many times; it is child's play now."

Invaded my mind… And then it hit me. "You!" I cried. "You were the one sending me into the past! You put Squall in that coma!"

"Of kourse!" she spat. "And _you_ messed it all up. It was only necessary to kill Squall; now I must kill everyone in this house to kover up _your_ mistake."

"You won't," I stated strongly. "I won't let you."

"You kannot do anything to stop me!"

"This is _my_ mind!" I yelled, stepping forward. I swung my leg back and flung it forward, kicking at her, but she disappeared again, reappearing a few feet away from me. She raised her hand and summoned a black ball of what looked like gas or wind, and it pulsed, sending out a razor-like blade of air, cutting into me. I yelped, but didn't let it slow me down. I went for her again, and again, and again, kicking and punching, not wasting a second between disappearances and attacks.

I was fading, bleeding, and breathless, but so was she. I had landed in some decent hits and even hit her with the Holy magic she had been talking about. Her Maelstrom spell – I had finally placed it – hit me hard, but I pushed through.

She couldn't teleport; it took too much energy. I slammed her with a roundhouse kick, knocking her back, and she retaliated by slashing at me with her claws. I rolled back on my heels to avoid it, rocking forward with a hard punch to her face.

"Ugh!" she exclaimed, falling back, blood trickling out of her mouth.

I rested my fists at my sides, staring down at her. "This is _my_ mind," I repeated, "_my _body, and _my_ soul!" I stood over her, and I felt the white enveloping me like vines along my skin, wisping in the air. From the corner of my eye, I saw the black dots on the wall shifting, swirling, merging, but I ignored them. "You have no place here!"

Breathing hard, she glared up at me, but her eyes slowly lost their anger. "Perhaps you kan still be useful to me after all," she spoke.

The white flared up. I could feel its heat around me but it didn't burn. It filled the white room, covering the black, covering Ultimecia, covering me. I remembered Zuko, how the thought of having killed him had left me hollow. Killing Ultimecia, however, after she'd caused all that pain and heartache… I felt powerful. I wanted to kill her.

As if faded, I fell to my knees, exhausted. The black was back, or was there more? It didn't matter. Ultimecia was gone, and I was safe.

I was shoved out of the room like someone had punched me in the gut, and suddenly I was on top of Zack again. He was still screaming, his chest black and burned through, my hands still glowing white.

A heartbeat passed and I jumped off of him, slamming my back against the wall.

Zack stood up and crumpled to the ground, still groaning in pain. Before I could move to help him, he was pushing himself across the floor, away from me, his fiend eyes wide and frightened. A foreign side of me took a sick pleasure in the knowledge that the tables were turned, that now _he_ was afraid of me.

I cringed, shoving away the smile that threatened to bubble forward like an unattractive laughter. "Zack, I'm so sorry," I blurted, knowing he wouldn't listen, but trying anyway. He still moved away, until he leaned against the opposite wall, his hand touching his chest as if to see what he couldn't bear to look at.

Taking a chance, I stepped toward him.

"Stay back!" he yelled, his voice hoarse and cracking, his eyes wide and his pupils small. He looked half-crazy, furious, and terribly, terribly scared.

I kept walking, kept talking. "Please," I pleaded, "Zack, listen to me. I didn't mean to hurt you, it was –"

"Didn't mean to? Get out, get out!"

"Zack, _please_, I'm sorry!" I was crying. I ran to him, crouched down to his level, and followed him when he tried to escape me. Finally, he was in a corner, his words bubbling from his mouth, asking me not to kill him. I wasn't sure what to say; I was mortified that he would be so afraid of me.

"Let me help you!" I put my hands on his chest again, ignoring his initial cries of pain, and summoned the white to my hands, but this time it didn't burn. It was soft and cool, soothing Zack's burns, healing the charred muscle and skin until finally, nothing was left of his pain or injury.

His skin unmarred, his howling quieted, Zack and I sat there, staring at each other, simply breathing. He was warm under my palms and I could feel his heartbeat slowing, like a runner after he'd finished the race.

And then it shattered.

Zack clenched his teeth and pushed me away hard. "Get the fuck off of me," he snarled, standing up.

I turned to him as he walked out the door. "Zack, I'm –"

"Sorry – I get it," he growled, tossing the words over his shoulder. "Look. I don't care why you did this – you're bipolar, psycho, whatever – but you stay away from me, you got that?"

Tears still flowing down my face, I just nodded.

He hesitated a moment, looking at me, then muttered a curse under his breath and slammed the door behind him.


	24. Chapter 23

**Disclaimer: I do not own Dissidia, FFVII, FFVII:CC, FFVIII, or ATLA.**

A/N: I had planned the last chapter to Hikari and Demi talking with Squall, and them eventually piecing things together and figuring out that Ultimecia was the one behind everything. But! I knew that would be really boring to read, so I did it in a more exciting way Plus, the last chapter paves the way for some other stuff to happen later down the road, so it all works out just fine!

So! We know Ultimecia was behind everything. But _how_ was she behind it? Didn't Squall kill her? Well, we're about to find out! Hope you like!

**What Matters Is Now**

**Chapter Twenty-Three**

_Hikari's POV_

The moment that I collected myself after Zack left, I stood and went to Demi's room. I knew dwelling on what just happened wouldn't solve any of it. Demi knew more about this magical stuff than I did, and Squall had been a SeeD longer than either of us, so between them they had to know something, right?

As for Zack… I'd think on it. There had to be some way I could make up for what I did. But not now.

I opened Demi's door without knocking. For half a heartbeat, I wondered if that was really such a good idea – I mean, they _were_ dating after all; what if they were… doing something? It was weird to think of Demi and Squall actually having physical relationship. They just seemed so… I don't know, not dirty? And then here I was, kissing Vincent and sleeping with Laguna. Some example I was.

Thankfully they weren't doing anything. Squall was laying in bed and Demi was looking through her closet, fuzzy pajama pants in her hand. She turned to me when I opened the door. "Hikari?" she asked in confusion. "What's wrong?"

"I need to tell you guys something," I started.

* * *

They listened without speaking as I told them what I knew – Ultimecia had been controlling me, I had black spots in my mind, all that stuff. By the time I was done, Demi had a thoughtful expression on her face and was staring at the ground, and Squall was sitting up and looking puzzled.

"But… I killed Ultimecia," he said.

I blinked. "What?"

He nodded. "Me and my team… A year ago, we killed her. We had to travel into the future to do it."

"She's from the future?" I asked. Well, she _was_ a Sorceress…

Squall nodded again. "What I'm wondering is, how did she reach you after we've already killed her?"

Demi spoke up. "Maybe… She's from the future," she stated again, for clarity. "So then that means that we're dealing with now, then, and all the times in between. If she can see into the past, then she can probably see into the future, too."

"Probably," I said.

"So maybe, one day, she foresaw Squall killing her, and wanted to stop it from happening." Her eyes met mine, and suddenly it clicked for me. I hardly had to listen to her talk it out; I already understood. "You said she used you to get rid of Squall. So she was trying to kill him before he got the chance to kill her. She was doing this before the time that she died."

"…That makes sense," Squall said slowly.

"But what do we do?" I asked. "We can't just wait around for her to get killed. Who knows how far into her future that is?"

"We'll wing it," Demi said, standing up and tossing her pajamas back into her closet. "Hikari, you and I need to go to her."

"What?" I exclaimed. "But – how?"

She stopped in front of me. "You have a link with her, a bond. If we can manipulate that, like how she manipulated you but reversed, then we can use her time travel powers and go to her time period."

"And that's when we wing it?"

"Yes." She moved past me toward the door. "We need to tell Father about this so we can do it as soon as possible. There's no time to waste."

Sometimes I didn't like it when Demi went into SeeD mode. I always got left behind.

I followed her out the door and into the hall, going through the turns toward Laguna's room. Halfway there, I heard a voice.

"Hikari."

I turned around and Vincent stepped out of a hallway. Even though my heart jumped up a little bit at the sight of him, I didn't have time. "Vincent," I greeted, my eyes going from him to Demi then back. She wasn't waiting for me. "I'm sorry, but I –"

"Please, wait, for just a second," he said, stepping forward and taking my hand with both of his. His normally dark eyes seemed so bright, his expression almost scared but hopeful, and with a slight sigh I moved into the hall with him. I knew where Laguna's room was very well, anyway; I didn't need Demi to lead me.

"Okay, what is it?" I asked.

"I've been thinking," he began. He paused, like he wasn't sure what to say next. "I've been thinking about you." A blush creeped on my face, and he smiled for a heartbeat before it dropped. "I feel… I want to protect you, more than anything. I like being close to you, and talking with you. You're beautiful, and kind, and understanding… and hard to keep up with," he added with a wry smile. I laughed a little, thinking of all the times he'd saved me from trouble – trouble that _I'd_ caused in the first place. "So I've been thinking, and… I really like you. I really like you, Hikari, and I want you to know that I'll be here for you."

"I know that," I said, my heart fluttering in my chest like a caffeinated bird in a cage. "And I really like you, too," I confessed, glancing up at him from beneath my lashes.

His lips stretched into a smile, and he put a hand behind my neck, leaning down to kiss me. I got lost in the moment, melting into a puddle right there on the floor and forgetting about everything.

He pulled away and looked into my eyes, the scarlet orbs so full of light that I could practically feel it. But then I remembered.

"I'm sorry," I started, moving away. "I have to go, but I'll come find you, okay? Whenever I have the next chance, I promise."

Vincent nodded understandingly. "I'll be waiting."

I smiled, gave him one last tiny kiss, and sped up the hallway.

* * *

_Demi's POV_

I didn't knock on Father's door – this was too important. Whatever he was doing could be interrupted. I didn't pay attention, either, to the fact that Hikari was no longer behind me. I was in full-on SeeD mode, and efficiency was at the front of my mind. This involved her; she'd show up.

"Father!" I called, stepping inside and going for his computer desk. I sat down and turned his computer on, typing before I heard his response. He'd have a hard time understanding this, so I wanted to spell it out as easily as possible.

"What?" he called back. I saw him step out of the door to his bathroom, sweatpants on and nothing else, drying his hair with a towel. "What is it, Mimi?"

"Hikari told me something that you need to know." My fingers were dancing across the keyboard, making a timeline.

Father sighed, going to his dresser and pulling out a shirt. "You mean the whole dreaming up the past thing?"

I blinked, and my hands stilled. "What?" I asked, looking at him.

He sighed again, turning toward me and leaning back on his hands. "Yeah, she told me. I had to help her get Squall back, but you know about all that, don't you?"

I furrowed my brow. "No…?"

Father seemed surprised. "You… you don't? She didn't –"

"Hi!" Hikari's voice vibrated through the room and she jogged into view. "Sorry, I fell behind," she apologized with a grin, which disappeared the second she laid eyes on my Father. The glance lasted two seconds, but to all three of us it was a lifetime, and all for different reasons.

I bit back a frown. I hated that she and my Father had the relationship that they did, and I didn't think I wanted to know the details. They had something – and that's where it ended as far as I was concerned.

Finally, Hikari looked away and came towards me, and Laguna swallowed and pulled on his shirt, buttoning it while he spoke. "So, what do you have to tell me? Anything I don't already know?"

Hikari didn't speak, so I started. "Ultimecia," I said, searching for and finding recognition on my Father's face. "You know the name?"

He nodded. "But Squall and his group killed her, about a year ago now. What does she have to do with anything?"

I explained to him how it was all possible, and I was a little bit surprised at how easily he understood. He even started finishing some of my sentences.

"I see," he said when I was finished. "So what are we going to do?"

"Hikari and I," I began, putting my hand on Hikari's shoulder, "are going into the future to stop her."

Father's eyes widened before they narrowed. "No, you're not," he said forcefully, stepping toward us. He stopped a few steps away, as if as an afterthought, with a glance at Hikari. "I won't let either of you get in that kind of danger."

I stood up. "We're already in it!" I exclaimed.

He was stunned silent at the force of my voice.

I didn't want to be angry at him, but too many things were building up – a crazy Sorceress, Squall almost dying, Hikari being controlled, and her relationship with my Father – I just couldn't handle any of this crap anymore.

"If we don't take care of this, she's going to kill us! Not just Squall anymore!" I would've gone after her just for that fact, but now it was more. But, I could tell Father wasn't hearing it. Fine; I'd appeal to something else.

I closed the gap between us, speaking under my breath now so only he could hear. "Father, listen to me. She used Hikari to get to us, which is bad enough, but now she wants to kill her. I know you feel something for her," I said, and saw the defeat in his eyes. "So let me save her."

He thought for a moment, a moment that stretched for eternity. Finally, he said, "No."

I snapped. "What?" I yelled, stepping back. I felt the fire smoldering in my veins, and welcomed it. "How could you say that?"

"Demi, let me explain –"

"No! Explain how you don't care if she dies? If I die, or Squall?"

"It's not that –"

"Then what is it?" The fire was on my fingertips now, burning with anger. "Do you just not kare?"

* * *

_Hikari's POV_

The second I heard the odd accent dripping from Demi's mouth, I knew: _Ultimecia._

"Demi!" I barked, but she didn't acknowledge me.

"How selfish kan you be?" she yelled, just in front of Laguna, and Laguna didn't see anything wrong; he was just standing there defiantly, ready to send her to her room.

But something was odd. If Ultimecia was controlling Demi, why was she acting like her? Why didn't she just reveal herself and kill us? She certainly had the power…

The knowledge struck me. _She can't fully possess Demi._

That's it! She'd mentioned that Demi wasn't an ideal host for her; that must be what she meant! So how was she…? Maybe she was just projecting, not possessing, but projecting her thoughts and intentions into Demi when her mind was most open.

Like when she was feeling strong emotion, like anger. Like now.

I didn't think. I couldn't let this get any further without interfering. I couldn't let her hurt anyone.

"Demi!" I cried, running forward and wrapping my arms around her from behind, trapping her arms at her sides. I flinched; I could feel the fire running through her skin.

"What?" Her voice was harsh, nothing like the soft bells I knew. "Hikari, what are you doing? Get off me!"

"Ultimecia, stop!" I yelled, knowing no one would understand but me, but if I could talk to her directly I might have a better chance of getting this under control.

Or not. Demi narrowed her eyes and yelled, "Get _off!_" She flung her arm back, pushing me away, then shot her hands toward me, arms outstretched, fingers splayed.

I heard the static above me but it didn't register. I stumbled, trying to get my balance, then screamed as lightning tore through me, electrifying my nerves and frying my brain. Blue sparks lit up my vision, and then everything went dark, completely.

But I was still awake. I heard Laguna call my name, and moved to push myself up. _Oh god,_ I thought, sitting up and pressing my hands to my eyes. They were open, but I couldn't see. _Am I blind?_

"Shut up!" Demi yelled, probably at Laguna, and I heard another crash of lightning.

"_No!"_ I screamed, a heartbeat before Laguna's painful cry ripped through the charged air. My vision was coming back in spots, and I saw him fall to the ground, practically smoking.

Blinking twenty times a second, trying to coax my eyes back into function, I stood up shakily, hand on the wall for support. "Stop this!" I begged. "Demi, this isn't you! It's Ultimecia!"

"I'm trying to _kill_ Ultimecia!" she argued, rounding on me. Her fingertips were still sparking. "And neither of you will let me! Why are you trying to stop me?"

"She's possessing you!" I explained, moving closer despite my fear, trying to get through to her.

This made her pause. The lightning died away, and I could hear Laguna groaning behind her. I wanted to badly to help him, but that would have to wait. "What?" she asked, her voice a tinge softer.

I didn't let myself hope just yet. "She's controlling you," I told her. "Not directly, but she's influencing you. She wants you to hurt us. Please, we need to get you somewhere safe, somewhere where she can't –"

"Wait," she interrupted, and I stopped. She thought for a moment. "You might be telling the truth."

I flinched. What was she saying? Might?

"Or…" she continued, her eyes growing dark again. "Or _you_ could be the one that's possessed."

I was flustered. "W-What?" _No!_

This seemed to solidify her thought. "She's controlling _you!_ She's done it before; why can't she do it again! She's trying to stop me!"

"No, Demi!"

"_Don't_ say my name, like you're Hikari!" Demi straightened her back, her hands burning along with her eyes. "If I have to burn through you to get to Ultimecia, I will!"

My eyes went wide. "_Demi!"_

Her voice was overpowering mine. "I'll do _anything_ I have to do to protect Squall!"

No, no, no! This wasn't going right at all! I ducked and yelped when she threw a fireball at me, smoldering on the wall just where my head had been.

"You won't get away, Ultimecia!" she snarled, throwing another that I jumped over, landing on my knees and skinning them on the skid.

"Stop! I'm not Ultimecia!" I summoned my power and encased my hands in white, grabbing the fireball and disintegrating it.

"You really think I'll believe you?" she asked incredulously. "Fight back!" She stomped her feet on the ground and threw her arms above her, stretching her neck to the ceiling, flexing her fingers like claws. Lightning crackled above her.

_Fighting is the only way I can stop her,_ I realized, my heart sinking, then firming with resolve. "Fine!" I yelled, and saw Demi freeze for just a heartbeat as she listened. "I'll fight."

Then she laughed, Ultimecia's cruel laugh, and said, "It's about time."

Blue lightning shot straight for me, and I grabbed it in my glowing white hands, twirling it around like a javelin, feeling the charge ripple through my body, then sent it right back at her. Her eyes widened just a moment before it hit her in the chest, sending her flying backwards, her back hitting the wall hard. The lightning still danced as if it controlled itself, and I ducked and circled my way around it toward Laguna, still laying helplessly on the ground.

"Laguna!" I dropped to my knees and helped him sit up.

He hissed through his teeth, grabbing at his abdomen. The fabric of his shirt was singed through and the skin was black underneath. "I'm fine," he choked out.

I pulled him up to stand. "Get out of here," I told him. "Find Squall, and Vincent, and tell them what's going on. I'll take it from here," I added, with grim resolve.

He nodded. "Just… don't hurt her," he said.

My chest panged, and I frowned. I couldn't say that truthfully, so I turned around and faced Demi, saying nothing. I heard Laguna leave, and only then did I walk up to her.

"Demi," I said, cautiously walking up. "I don't want to hurt you…"

"That's too bad," she said, cutting me off. She stood slowly, straightening her back and locking eyes with me. "I was hoping you'd try harder."

Lightning struck me in the back and I gasped, stumbling forward, and a loud _crack_ resounded in the room as Demi's knuckles connected with my chin. I hit the ground hard, coughing, and I could taste blood in my mouth, thickly dripping past my lips.

I reached up, wiping it off with the back of my hand. Demi stood over me, an irritated expression on her face. "You don't die easily," she said quietly, probably to herself.

It hurt, but I had to take advantage of this momentary lapse in fury. I sprung to my feet and blasted her with light, sending her into the air. With a wave of her hand, the air swirled beneath her and she flipped mid-air, landing gracefully on her feet.

"That was a dirty trick," she growled.

I didn't respond. I couldn't talk to her, my friend being controlled like this. It disgusted me. Instead, I dropped into a low stance, readying myself for whatever she would throw at me this time.

I didn't expect ice.

My legs were already encased in a small glacier before I realized what was happening. My heart stopped beating – if she trapped me, I was as good as dead!

I drew my power to my hands again, preparing to blast through the ice, but yelped when Demi's fiery grip closed around my wrists, holding them above my head.

Her face was inches in front of mine. "What a strange way to die," she remarked as ice closed around my wrists and traveled down my arms, in time with the glacier crawling up my legs. "Burning inside a sheet of ice. How will anybody explain that one?"

I opened my mouth to beg her to please stop, but I knew it wouldn't work. I'd tried, but I just wasn't strong enough. I wasn't fast enough, didn't react quickly enough.

I'd never been as good as Demi. Ever. And now, it would be my death.

I closed my eyes, clenching my teeth at the heat boiling my skin beneath the ice. It hurt, but not nearly as much as the knowledge that I couldn't save them from dying: Squall, Zack… Vincent… Laguna…

_Crack!_

My eyes shot open to see Demi falling to the ground, eyes rolling back into her head, and standing behind her with a giant sword and fiendish eyes –

Zack.

I remembered his screams, his eyes full of tears, of fear for me. Now they only held harsh determination, and barely veiled disgust.

He raised an eyebrow at me. "Well?"

I blinked. "Well what?"

His eyes raked over me. "You're stuck in a perfect position for me to do anything I want to you, and after what you did to me I don't think you should stay that way for long."

I swallowed, and covered myself in white. The ice melted around me, turning into water than ran down my skin and soaked through my clothes. I drew my power back inside me when I was finally free.

My body slowly stopped being numb, and the adrenaline was leaving my system, and with all that – came pain. "Oh… _ow…!_" Hyne, everything hurt! Tears stung at the corners of my eyes and I whimpered behind my teeth, falling as my pained legs gave way.

"Huh!" Zack reacted, grabbing my arm and pulling me up to stand. "Watch it."

I couldn't respond, just nodded. If I tried to speak, I would just cry in agony. I _burned_ all over!

Zack started walking and I followed, but after one and a half steps I fell again, and again Zack caught me. "Useless," he muttered under his breath and picked me up, one arm around my shoulders, the other under my knees.

"Wait," I said. "What about Demi?"

"Squall will get her," Zack said, his voice hard and soft at the same time. He was already walking out of the room – my head lolled back and watched Demi get farther and farther away.

"Will she be alright?"

"I just knocked her out; she'll be fine when she wakes up."

"But… Ultimecia…"

"Squall thinks he has a plan for that," Zack said. "Now stop talking and rest. You're hurt."

I disregarded the cold way he spoke and listened only to his words, closing my eyes and trying to block out the pain. "Hn…"

I let the soft rocking of his walk lull me to rest.


	25. Chapter 24

**Disclaimer: I do not own Dissidia, FFVII, FFVII:CC, FFVIII, or ATLA.**

A/N: Hope you liked the last chapter! Apparently none of it was expected, so that's good! Just what I wanted hehe. Anyway, here's the next one! Oh, and something I noticed: the beginning of this story was chapters 1-9, then the middle was 10-19, and now the end is chapters 20-? Maybe 29? We'll have to see how long this goes for! I thought that was cool though :3 So! hope you like!

**What Matters Is Now**

**Chapter Twenty-Four**

_Demi's POV_

My breath was heavy in my chest, and my eyelids wouldn't open. I sat on something hard, back pressed against something like a wall, head hung, just breathing.

Where was I? I didn't want to open my eyes. I didn't want to do anything.

I felt hollow.

"_Is she alright?"_ Hikari's voice, I could tell, even though it sounded muffled and deformed.

_No,_ I thought to myself, opening my mouth to say it but no sound came out. My jaw hung slack.

"_She's fine."_ Squall. _"She's just resting right now. She's not used to not having her powers."_

Not having my… _What?_

My eyes snapped open and my back shot up straight. I took in everything at once: I was in some sort of glass tube structure in the den, with everyone surrounding me, staring at me like some sort of test subject. I focused on fire, water, lightning, air, _anything_ –

Nothing. I couldn't feel them.

"What's happened to my powers?" I demanded, pressing my palms against the glass, staring directly into Squall's eyes.

He met mine levelly. _"What you're in is an anti-magic field simulator. We used it for Rinoa in the past."_

"Why am I in here?" I yelled. I didn't like this; I didn't _understand_ this!

"_She doesn't remember,"_ I heard Zack say.

"_She never realized,"_ Hikari explained to him. _"If she'd figured it out while she was –"_

I slammed my fists against the glass. "Stop talking about me like I'm not here!"

"_You were possessed by Ultimecia,"_ Squall said, his voice even, unlike mine that shook. He was speaking in that business voice again, like when I'd first discovered my powers. He was trying to keep me at a distance. _"You attacked Laguna and Hikari. If Zack hadn't come in time, you would have killed them."_

My heart plummeted. I felt like I couldn't breathe. She could control me like that?

"_Squall!"_ Hikari yelled, hitting his shoulder. _"You could try to put it nicer!"_

"_She needs to hear it how it happened,"_ he argued. _"She needs to know exactly why she's in there; why we're forced to do this."_

There it was – the slightest crack in his voice that let me know just how much it pained him that he had to do this to me. It warmed me just a little, but then I froze over at the familiar heat that I wouldn't be able to conjure now. It was interesting; I hadn't had my powers for very long at all, but now, without them, I felt so hollow. Had I always felt this way before? Maybe I'd just never noticed it, since I'd never experienced feeling whole before.

"So what's our plan?" I asked, my normally authoritative tone soft and quiet.

"_Until we can find a better way to keep Ultimecia from controlling you, you have to stay in there. Your powers are what connect her to you – cut them, and you cut her off from us."_

"Then what do we do about her _now_?" I locked eyes with him. "We can't just let her get away with this!"

"_There's nothing we can do until we know more –"_

"Squall."

He looked at me, and behind his emotionless face I saw the pain – in the tension in his brow, the curve of his lips. I said, "Do you really think she'll wait around for us to come get her? She'll find a way, whether it's through us, someone else, or she'll just travel to now – and she _will_ kill us. We can't wait."

"_It's our only option._" His eyes were set; he wasn't going to listen to me.

I sighed and sat down. "Fine," I breathed, closing my eyes. "I just hope you're right."

_Hikari's POV_

I had to leave. I had to get out of that room.

I don't think I've ever hated Squall before in my life. But now I did.

How could he do that to Demi? Confine her and steal what she'd grown so used to in such a short time? She didn't know what she was doing when she hurt me and Laguna – she shouldn't be punished for something she didn't even do.

I was walking down the halls, not wanting to go anywhere in particular. I didn't want to go to Demi's room – that would just remind me that she wouldn't be there. I didn't want to be with Squall – I'd just yell at him, probably.

I surprised myself by thinking of Zack.

Blinking, I stopped in the middle of the hall. But I hated Zack; I had since the first time I met him. So why did his name pop into my head? Why was he –?

"There you are."

I froze. There it was – his voice. I turned around and his fiend eyes locked with mine. He looked so serious, like he always seemed to look lately. When had he stopped smirking?

I looked away. "Have you been looking for me?" I asked.

He rubbed his cheek with his hand, cracking his neck absentmindedly. "Just wanted to check up on you. See if you were… damaged."

I decided to take that as 'I hope you're not hurt.' "I'm fine," I assured him.

He was quiet for a moment. "Alright."

But he didn't leave. I lifted my eyes to meet his again and flinched. At a time, I would've been frightened of those blue-green eyes – I still was, a little. But when I was in danger… those eyes were the first thing I'd seen. I hadn't been afraid of them then.

"Zack…"

"Yeah?"

I inhaled, then let it out, smiling to myself and shaking my head. I didn't even know what I was thinking. "You don't make it easy, do you?" I asked.

He raised an eyebrow. "Make what easy?"

I hesitated, but I wasn't sure why. "Figuring you out," I responded.

A voice cut Zack off when he opened his mouth: "Hikari!"

I turned around, only catching a glimpse of Vincent's red eyes before I was swept off my feet and into his arms. He held me tight, whirling me around, and kissed me with reckless abandon, compassion unleashed into a satiny embrace. For a moment, all thoughts of glowing fiend eyes were swiped over with a red paintbrush.

My feet touched ground again, but I was walking on air. "I'm fine," I promised, my face heated from a furious blush.

"I know," he sighed, smiling bashfully. "I just had to make sure."

"Why is everyone always so worried about me?" I asked, stepping out of his arms. "I mean, I can take care of myself, given what I've –"

Vincent shushed me, taking my hand. "Don't think about any of that," he said softly, banishing the thoughts from my mind. "My job is to make sure you never have to do anything like that again." His other hand found mine and his eyes stared into mine. "Just because you can doesn't mean you should, Hikari."

My heart swelled, and my mouth opened to speak words I hadn't even formed yet. My feelings for him were beyond words, mostly because I hadn't even completely figured them out yet. I liked him so much, and… I could see myself loving him, maybe one day…

A loud crash slammed into my eardrums. Vincent let go of me and we spun around toward the source of the sound.

Zack wasn't in the hallway anymore.

I don't know how, but I knew it was him. Vincent started moving down the hall but I grabbed his arm. "Stay here," I told him.

"No," he refused strongly. "You don't have to do everything yourself."

I begged my eyes to implore him to listen. "This I do. Please."

He stopped, thinking for a moment. Finally, with a sigh, he stepped back behind me, crossing his arms. "I'll be here," he promised. "Call me if anything goes wrong."

I nodded, giving his hand a small squeeze before letting go and walking down the hall. I turned a corner, and Vincent was out of sight.

Immediately, a cold feeling swept over me – I wasn't sure if it was because Vincent wasn't with me anymore or just my own apprehension. I felt like I'd stepped into a separate world, a frightening realm where anything could happen.

My heart beating fast, I kept moving, keeping my footsteps light at the inane fear that someone would hear me. I flinched at another crash, then a sound caught halfway between a thud and a smack. It was louder. I was getting close.

A few more feet and I could hear someone muttering. I was getting close to the living room. "Zack?" I called, testing.

The muttering stopped for a moment, then picked up again. There were three loud footsteps, then another crack. The doorway was right in front of me. I hesitated for just a moment, gathering my breath, then stepped forward.

A hand fisted itself into my shirt and threw me forward. I cried out as I lost my balance and fell, skinning my knees on the carpet. I turned and saw glowing blue-green, opening my mouth to try and stop him, but he was too fast. His foot collided with my chest and knocked me on my back, then suddenly he was holding me down, wide eyes right above mine.

I struggled, but I knew within seconds that wouldn't get me anywhere. "Zack! What are you –"

"She has to die," he said, his voice low and growling, yet calm, emotionless. His eyes flickered back and forth, too fast for me to keep up with, like he couldn't focus. "Kill her. She has to die."

_Die?_ I knew he hated me, but wanting to kill me? Something was definitely wrong. I gritted my teeth together and pushed back at him with all my strength, but he slammed me back down again. "Zack, stop it!"

"Shut up!" he yelled, sounding more like himself, but still distorted. His eyes were focused for only a moment, then went back to before. "Die," he snarled, leaning down.

I didn't waste time thinking about what he was doing. When he was close enough, I swung my head forward and knocked my forehead against his, stunning him. I pushed him off, getting my feet as my head spun, then screamed when his hand grabbed my ankle and pulled me back down. I kicked with my other foot and felt it hit something; he let go and I scrambled to my feet again.

It didn't help, anyway – Zack was faster than me, already standing and hurling a fist at my gut. My back hit the wall and he was there with me, holding my shoulders in place.

"She has to die," he murmured. "Kill her. Die."

Nothing I could say would make him calm down, so I didn't waste my breath. With a grunt, I slammed my knee between his legs.

He let go of me and doubled over, groaning in pain. Sending the Holy magic to my hands, I pushed him back, and he went flying, slamming into the wall and falling to his knees. I took a deep breath and made my way toward him. "Zack, don't make me hurt you."

His head snapped up, and he was smirking, just like before. But with an edge. "Come on, babe. Try it."

My expression turned to stone, and I pushed my thoughts aside. For now, I wouldn't think about how odd he was acting; how I wasn't sure if this was just him being furious or something else; or what I had done to make him this way. I pulled on my SeeD training, basic and unrefined as it was, and focused on my weapon and target: my fist and his nose.

I reeled my arm back and swung, and again underestimated his speed. He jumped to his feet, back straight, and caught my fist with ease, twisting my wrist. I cried out and spun to avoid the pain. He grabbed my waist and pulled me up against him, his chest at my back. A shiver ran down my spine as his lips grazed my ear.

His grip tightened on my waist. "Slut," he said, making me shiver again.

I clenched my jaw and elbowed him in the gut, staggering him and darting forward. His grip stayed firm on my hand and he pulled me back. I ran into him, chest to chest – I could feel his heart racing to match mine. He twisted my arm behind my back and I yelped, pulling my other hand back to slap him but he caught that, too, nearly bending my fingers back before lacing his fingers through mine and hitting the back of my head, tangling our hands in my hair.

"Let go of me!" I yelled, twisting in his arms but he didn't move. "Zack!"

"Snap her neck and make her die," he said, his fingernails digging into my skull. "Snap it like a twig."

"Zack, _please_ –"

He blinked, and his own angry snarl was back on his lips. "Shut up!" he roared.

"Let go!" I yelled back, pushing back against him.

"Hyne, shut your mouth!" His arms flexed and pulled me forward, his hand tilted my head back, and his lips captured mine.

I didn't have time to be surprised. His mouth ravaged mine with a passion, and I wasn't aware of whether I was kissing him back or not – I wasn't aware of anything.

Everything had stopped. Everything was a shade of white or black, or something in between, like an old photo.

With everything frozen, or at least moving at a pace eighteen times slower than normal, I could finally focus.

Zack's lips were on mine… I didn't know what to think. I hated him! Didn't I? We always fought, he called me awful names, and his eyes were terrifying, and I hated that stupid smirk!

But he saved my life. He was concerned about me, and his eyes were kinda warm sometimes. And even though we were fighting, I was so glad to see that smirk…

My eyes started to close as I let my mind shut off and stop wondering about all this, when suddenly I saw something dark. It was behind Zack, stretching out like a vast sea, a black void.

Black wings. Ultimecia's wings.

Time began again. I literally felt my powers wash over me, as if my brain had stepped into a cold shower, and without thinking for myself – although my mind was crackling with the magic – I tore my hands out of his iron grip.

Zack pulled away, looking angry, but I fisted my hand in his hair and pulled him back, kissing him with vigor, pressing myself to him, my other hand flat on his chest. He held me close and my heart sputtered like a dead lightbulb.

But that wasn't my purpose. My hand on him glowed white a heartbeat before I blasted the magic straight through him. I heard a scream echo in the room and broke the kiss, watching as the wings disintegrated into wisps of shadow, and then into nothing.

My power drew itself inside me again so fast it was almost painful, and I stumbled, holding onto Zack for balance.

"Uh!" He grabbed me, but was stumbling as well, so it wasn't very effective. Finally, we both found our feet, and Zack met my eyes, confusion furrowing his brow.

"What happened?" he asked.

I knew he wouldn't remember. "Ultimecia possessed you," I said matter-of-factly, stepping back and smoothing my clothes. _Good,_ I thought. _He won't remember the kiss, either._

He let his arms fall and watched his feet. "How is that possible?" he asked, looking up at me.

I avoided his eyes. I shouldn't have been thinking about it, but we _had_ just kissed. And we hated each other. It was awkward. I looked out the window. "She must be more powerful than we thought. She doesn't need a magical host; she can go through anyone."

Zack cursed. "So what are we supposed to do now?"

"I don't think she can get to you anymore," I said. I felt like Demi – all business. "But we need to get to Demi. We need to end this, _now_."

Zack came up to my side. "I'll go with you."

I sighed. "Zack, you're exhausted, I know you are. You're in no shape to be fighting."

"Oh, come on, I'm a hero, right?" He smirked again, and I just rolled my eyes. "Besides, can't have you dying, right?"

"Fine," I said. "Follow me."

I left the room, looking around, and deemed that the way was clear. "Come on," I said, walking quickly down the hall.

"Hikari!" Vincent's voice traveled down the hall but I didn't stop.

"Hikari, Vincent is –"

I cut Zack off. "We can't trust him now. Ultimecia might have him. Keep moving." I can only assume he nodded, because his footsteps didn't falter.

Down the hallway we nearly ran. I couldn't trust anyone in this house except Demi, and hopefully Zack. Just because I'd pushed her out of him once didn't mean he wasn't fair game anymore. With luck, what I'd just done would at least buy me time.

I had just enough to skid to a halt when the left wall was blown through, the sound hurling itself against my ears. Zack stepped in front of me, ready to defend, but I eased in beside him. I wouldn't let him put his life in danger because he thought I couldn't handle myself. I'd just practically defeated him – I was pretty sure I could do this.

But those thoughts were gone the second I saw who stepped through the giant hole in the wall.

Holding a giant red gun shaped like a dragon, Laguna walked atop the rubble, staring at me with an intent to kill.


	26. Chapter 25

**Disclaimer: I do not own FFVII, FFVII:CC, FFVIII, or ATLA.**

A/N: Well, I'm working as a camp counselor at Camp Kern now! It's awesome, but it doesn't leave me much time for writing :/ So these updates will be even fewer and farther between than normal haha And oh my goodness, I just realized I started this story in November of '09! That was like two years ago! Dang, this has taken a while, huh? Well, I'll try to finish soon :) So without further ado, here's the next chapter! Hope you like!

**What Matters Is Now**

**Chapter Twenty-Five**

My heart stopped, my breath stopped, everything stopped. My eyes stopped on the man in front of me. The man I loved with all my soul.

Pointing a giant red gun at me.

I knew what it was before my brain could register it – he was possessed. Ultimecia was going to stop at nothing to kill me before I could get to her. I understood that.

But to see that blind hatred in his eyes staring straight at me… It burned a whole right through my stomach.

I vaguely heard Zack say my name behind me, but it didn't do much to rouse me. I was caught in an iron grip, paralyzed underneath that gun.

Laguna, his expression unchanging, pulled the trigger.

"_Hikari!_" Zack screamed my name just as the shot fired. The resounding _boom_ snapped me back to life, but it was too late – I was locking eyes with a ball of blue energy, speeding toward me. Laguna stumbled back from the recoil, and Zack –

- slammed into me from the side. We crashed onto the ground just as the blast crashed into the wall, blowing out another hole. Zack's weight knocked all of the air out of my lungs, and I struggled to breathe as he rolled off.

"What the hell was that?" he asked, pinning me with a glare, minus the adrenaline that made his eyes wide.

I coughed. "I choked!" I explained. "It won't happen again."

"It better not." He popped up to his feet and held out a hand, which I took. "You'll be dead without me."

Once on my feet, I sent him the dirtiest look I could. "Don't think I trust you now, okay? I'm helping _you_, too; this isn't one-sided."

He opened his mouth to retort, but I saw Laguna loading up another shot behind him. "Look out!" I yelled, just as he shot again. I brought up a wall of light, tensing my muscles, and held my ground as the blast rocked into the barrier, shaking me. I grit my teeth to endure until the energy faded, and only then did I bring the power down. I didn't realize until then that Zack was standing behind me, grabbing my shoulders to brace me.

"I get that," he said, continuing as if we weren't in the middle of a battle to the death. "But if you don't trust me now, we'll both end up dead. You keep me alive, and I'll keep you alive – that good enough?"

I grit my teeth, but I had to agree with him. "Fine."

A shock went through my veins at a strangled scream from down the hall. Zack and I whirled around to face it.

"What was that?" he asked.

My face set in firm determination, not allowing myself to feel the sadness that tore at my heart, I said, "That'll be Vincent."

Zack turned to me with wide, disbelieving eyes. "Two at a time?" he asked, understanding immediately what was happening.

I nodded. "She wants me dead more than anything – she's probably pouring all her power into this." My brain working ten thousand miles per hour, I told him, "I have to get to Demi and go to Ultimecia. Once she and I are there, and we have her attention, it'll be easier on you."

Zack was nodding as I spoke, but when I finished, he froze. "Easier on me?" he repeated. "No, you don't mean –"

"I need you to keep them occupied and help me slip through – it's the only way to stop this!" I took Zack's hands and pleaded with my eyes. "Please, Zack."

He took a moment, but finally he sighed and hung his head. "Fine. But if I die –"

I stepped back and let out a laugh, raising an eyebrow at him. "Come on, Zack, you? Die? You're the hero here, aren't you?"

A short laugh escaped him, his mouth open in a half-hearted grin. "Hero, huh? Well, if there was ever a time to need one…"

I heard Vincent's footsteps down the hall, and Laguna loaded up his gun in front of me. Zack's fingers gripped my shoulders. "We won't have much time," I said.

"I know," he said, staring over my shoulder at the barrel of Laguna's gun, which was slowly beginning to glow blue. "Listen to me, Hikari. Laguna's going to shoot us, and when he does, dive to the right. I'll catch you. Then get to your feet and run past him while the smoke clears. I'll draw his attention."

Laguna's face glowed blue. I still couldn't shake the sick feeling I got in my stomach, seeing his normally serene blue eyes turn hard and electric. "You'll be okay?" I asked.

Zack laughed. "Come on, since when have you cared about me?"

I didn't have time to answer. Laguna pulled the trigger, and the ball of laser energy sailed through the air with a loud _crack!_

"Jump!" Zack yelled, and I dove to the right, the blast shooting just beside us and crashing into the wall. Dust and smoke and debris filled the air with the ear-splitting noise, and Zack's arms wrapped around me as we hurtled to the ground. No sooner had he hit the ground and my body fell on his was I on my feet, running straight through the smoke and down the hall. I couldn't see a thing but cream-colored dust and debris, but I knew I had to be close to Laguna by now – I was probably running right past –

Something grabbed my arm and I yelped in pain, nails digging into my skin and pulling me back. I spun around and my chest hit something hard, knocking the breath out of me. I saw those beautiful blue eyes above me, staring me down, and felt the heated metal of the gun pressed against me. I didn't waste any time thinking – I blasted him with Holy magic and ran the second he let go of me, holding back my seething guilt.

The hallways cleared as I ran, farther and farther away from the men I loved – and Zack – blowing the house apart. The living room was close now, closer.

The room was empty, save for the cylindrical anti-magic chamber Demi sat in, leaning against the wall and staring straight out in front of her. Her hair was mussed, her clothes were wrinkled; if someone looked in, it would seem that she'd been there for days. Only we knew it had only been a few hours. She looked pale, almost sick – was that what being without magic was like? I could hardly imagine it, even though it was how I had been my whole life up until recently. Had my life even really began before I found my powers? Had Demi's?

Another loud blast from behind me jolted me. No time to think about that. I ran up to the chamber and pressed my palms against the glass. "Demi! Can you hear me?"

She flinched, but otherwise seemed to ignore me. Her face was hidden by her hair, but I got the feeling she was meeting my eyes.

My heart hurt at her anger – I didn't want her in there, either, but what else could we have done? Now, we were figuring out the hard way that that wasn't the best idea. "Demi, I'm getting you out."

Now she was intrigued. She shot onto her knees and pressed close to the glass in front of me, eyes wide, pushing her hair away from her face. _"Why?"_ she asked, her voice muffled.

"I'll explain in a minute," I said. "How do I get you out?"

"_Focus your energy,"_ she commanded.

"I have to use magic?"

"_Well, neither of us know how to properly open it, so we'll just use what we've got. Blow it apart."_

My eyes went wide. "But – But I can't control it! What if I hurt you?"

Demi placed her palm against the glass, meeting my eyes evenly. _"You won't. I trust you."_

I squirmed inside. "O-Okay…" I heard Zack yell from down the hall, and Vincent make some noise I hadn't ever heard before. I didn't let myself cringe, just gathered myself and focused. I pressed my hands against the glass, willing my power to only shatter the glass and nothing inside. It grew inside me, pulsing like a living heart, then I let it go.

The glass splintered off, falling like diamonds over the room, and Demi jumped down to the floor, one hand smothered in flame and the other crackling with lightning. She stood tall, the air swirling around her, and with a calculated exhale she drew the magic back inside of her, smiling. "It feels good to be whole again," she said.

I nearly smiled with her, but I heard Laguna's gun again.

She turned to me, all business. "What's going on?"

"Ultimecia is possessing Vincent and Laguna," I told her, like a SeeD debriefing their commander. "She's trying to kill us by any means."

"She's that powerful?" Demi asked, more thoughtful than disbelieving.

"We have to go into the future and stop her," I said, watching her face carefully for her reaction.

She locked eyes with me, and for a moment said nothing. I couldn't read her expression. Finally, she said, "How do we do it?"

"I was hoping you knew," I said honestly.

Demi blinked, and I could nearly see her thoughts rushing through her brain in those sky blue orbs. "We could…" She seemed to dismiss the idea and thought more. I didn't rush her, even when I heard Zack scream – that time I couldn't stop myself from cringing.

"We need to combine our powers somehow," she concluded.

"I have a link with her," I said. "My powers are like hers – she used me to get here first, she said we have a link. We can use that. But I'm not powerful enough to do it on my own."

"So I'll help you," Demi said, grabbing my hands. "Focus on her. Find her, Hikari, and I'll help you get to her."

I nodded and closed my eyes, reaching deep down inside myself, trying to find any hint of her within me. But I felt a block. "She's trying to stop me," I said.

"Force through."

"Okay." I pushed harder, feeling my power well up inside me, and, like the glass pillar Demi was stuck in, I shattered her barrier. Everything came flooding out, and I kept looking for that hint of her –

But I found more than hints.

I felt her everywhere. It was like her black wings invaded my light – like her essence was coursing through my veins, and it _hurt_. I grit my teeth so as not to cry out, and gripped Demi's hands hard, my nails digging into her skin but she made no protest.

Before I knew it, I felt something like a wind, like I was strapped to the front of a subway train. It stopped, and I opened my eyes – and saw a vast desert stretched before me, a small plane behind me…

My parents beckoning me to the rental car a few yards away.

_My first day in Esthar,_ I recognized. My mom – small and thin and blonde, with black-rimmed glasses covering her green eyes. My dad – tall and stocky, with brown hair and those brilliant blue eyes he gave to me, his prized silver watch on his wrist. That was the last time I'd seen them, and all they wanted was to send me away.

The subway sped off again, and then I was sitting in the lunchroom with Demi, going to class with her, asking her where my classes were. It sped off again, and I was meeting Laguna, dancing with Laguna, talking about my dream with Laguna, kissing Laguna, in Laguna's room on his desk and his bed.

I could feel Demi's hands in mine, and I wondered what she was seeing – if she was seeing my life or hers. She seemed like she was right next to me, but she felt so far away. Everything felt far away, and disconnected, like it was all a puzzle and someone lifted it off the table and the pieces were falling out, one by one, and I was seeing each of them as they passed by. I realized, with a queasy certainty, that if we failed, I would never see those pieces again.

"_Stop! Hikari, stop!"_

It sounded like Demi's voice. I didn't know what I was supposed to stop, but I shut my eyes tight, ignoring my memories and the cruel, tainted laughter that sounded through my mind, and planted my feet in anything substantial, anything solid. Suddenly, the subway stopped.

And I opened my eyes. And I looked around. And I let go of Demi's hands and my eyes went wide and my mouth gaped open because what I was looking at, what I was seeing, was like nothing I had ever seen before.

Black. Gray. Stone and steel. Bricks and chains. Silver moon and black bats and darkened skies with no stars or clouds, but there was lightning. We stood on a stone pathway broken on the sides, practically floating in midair, with a castle at the end of it. It rose before us imposingly, held down by chains with a giant staircase leading up to the giant wooden door. Lightning struck by the rooftop, and the moon illuminated all the wrong places, leaving all the important parts in shadows. Gargoyles snarled and growled at us, and I wondered if what awaited inside was worse.

"Is this it?" I asked, trepidation making my voice shake.

"Looks like," Demi said. She started walking and I followed. "Ultimecia's castle. And she's waiting for us."

I swallowed. Because I knew she wasn't waiting. She had planned our arrival since the moment she figured out about us.

This was as much a part of her plan as it was of ours.


End file.
